Welcome Back to the World
by gennalindz
Summary: Red has finally left Mt. Silver and is participating in the Pokémon World Tournament. He isn't sure how society will welcome him back but he wants to find new challenges so he tries anyways. Rated M for safety, but no sexual scenes. Maybe some kissing. LolishotaShipping (not main theme). Also an OC Marie who may or may not end up with Red...
1. Isolating Isolation

**Story Begins:**

(First Part copied from user Fateion in his story "Champion Return". Part of which seemed to be from 92FireDemon's Story: "Stepping Out From a Shadow) Ermm, I edited it and fixed the grammar.

First Fanfic guys… not sure on all the shipping. Thought I would try something neutral with a new charrie and bring in some Cynthia x Steven? Tell me what you think :)

I forgot to add this:

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any aspect of it. Any similarities between you and the charries is also completely coincidental. Unless of course, I've asked your permission and you've said yes :)**

* * *

Mt. Silver, located in Johto, west of Victory Road and the Indigo Plateau. This mountain was a dangerous place to be, not because of the harsh climate or the unstable caves and paths that lined the mountain, but wild Pokémon with extremely high levels. Levels that were higher than any other area as well as rare Pokémon that could not be found in Johto. This mountain was a death trap for any inexperienced and unprepared trainer. Even the most experienced trainer would think twice before coming to this mountain.

However, even though Mt. Silver boasted such a dangerous reputation, some trainers still came to the mountain. Those trainers that came to the mountain had one purpose. They wanted to defeat the trainer that had conquered the mountain and made it his home. Some wondered if this trainer was insane to live in such a challenging place or whether this trainer was hiding something sinister. But all the mystery only bolstered the mountain's reputation and made trainers seek out this strange man.

Red, from Pallet Town, was the one who called Mt. Silver his home. He was no normal Pokémon trainer; he was the champion of the Indigo Plateau. But trainers wanted to battle him for a different reason. He was known as the 'undefeatable Pokémon trainer.' At the age of eleven, he had conquered the mountain and then defeated the elite four of Johto. Not only that, but when the Indigo League champion, Lance, came to the mountain to battle him, Red defeated him on his first try. In his short Pokémon career, he had not lost a single battle. Therefore, many trainers began to think of Red as a Pokémon trainer prodigy.

However, this brought along another question. If Red was the true champion, why he didn't he replace Lance and became the leader of the elite four. Why Red had come to Mt. Silver? Some thought he was preparing to storm another league. Others believed he was too arrogant and thought the position was beneath him. Time passed but Red still didn't leave the mountain which had his defenders beginning to believe the second reason was true. Trainers wanted to battle him, try to see how their skills matched up with this supposedly "too good to be Champion" young man. However, no matter what their skill, they couldn't beat Red.

Many trainers had been injured from going to the mountain and then being defeated by Red. This was a huge problem because it was hard to get a trainer up there, let alone a Pokémon center or a Nurse Joy. So Kanto region's Professor Oak came up with a solution. If a trainer wanted to go to Mt. Silver, they must have sixteen badges from both Johto and Kanto before they could challenge Red.

Unbeknownst to them, this was Red really wanted. He wasn't afraid of challenges or tough trainers and he wanted to be the best was his goal. He just wanted everyone to leave him alone. He wasn't a social person; in fact, he didn't even fully know how to interact with people correctly. The social rules were too complicated for him and he preferred to live solitarily with his Pokémon. He was also tired of the constant challenges. Some of the trainers that battled him were skilled opponents which offered a variety of battle styles which Red enjoyed. But most of them lacked experience and their overall battle was pathetic. To Red, it looked like these trainers were just hoping to get lucky or go home with something to brag about. He was irritated that they would come and waste his time. With the new rule in place, it meant all the challengers that came to Mt. Silver hoping to defeat him would be skilled competititors.

After Professor Oak made the 16 Badge Rule, on average on six trainers came to him a year and each one was skilled and powerful. None could defeat him. Time passed and every year the number of trainers that came to challenge him lessened and lessened. It wasn't long until trainers stopped seeking the 'trainer prodigy' and Red was left alone. But all this time without a challenge created rumors that began circulating Kanto. His reputation as undefeatable grew and trainers doubted they could actually win. Unknown to Red, he was beginning to be called an urban legend. He was also considered as the phantom trainer atop Mount Silver. Everyone forgot what he looked like, only the stories of trainers' defeats and his powerful Pokémon were still alive. No one knew what had happened to him.

But Red began to think of this life as a curse. He had lived on the mountain for far too long without any human interaction. It was only him and his Pokémon. On the cold and snowy mountain, he stood alone. Like a king, an emperor, with the mountain as his throne.

But it had also become his prison.

This had become like a curse to Red. He had lived in this mountain far too long, devoid of any human

"Pika pika."

The voice of his partner, Pikachu, alerted Red. He opened his eyes and looked at the snowfield in front of him. The sky was already dark and snow had started falling.

"Another day without a challenger," whispered Red to the empty field as a cold wind blew. Normally people would already be shivering from the freezing temperature. Red had already been conditioned to accept the harsh climate of Mt. Silver.

"Pika pi." The yellow mouse said, climbing up his back onto his shoulder.

Red understood what Pikachu was trying to say and turned his head towards it, "We should leave the mountain. Shouldn't we?"

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed as it nodded at Red.

Red pondered the matter. He _was_ becoming bored by the lack of challengers and in order to keep his skills sharp he had to continually improve. He wouldn't do that with the wild Pokémon on the mountain anymore. They had come to know him and almost any of them would willingly be caught. But if he left Mt. Silver, where would he go? Should he try another region? Should he challenge the Elite Four again and take on the duties as champion or-

"Pika!" The mouse Pokémon yelled, bringing Red back, "Pika pi pika!"

"You're right, I shouldn't over-think things." Red said to his partner before taking one of his poke balls, "This is indeed the time for us to go and see the world"

A Charizard came out of the Poké ball red had thrown and it let out a loud roar. The flame Pokémon looked around but finding no foe, Charizard turned to its trainer.

"Charizard, its time." Red said simply, but Charizard understood what its trainer meant.

Red gathered all his necessary supplies and items that he had acquired during his stay at Mt. Silver before placing them all in a backpack. Then, with Pikachu on his shoulder, he climbed onto Charizard's back and told it, "Off to Pallet Town buddy."

Charizard roared with excitement before flapping its wings and taking to the sky. Mt. Silver was quickly left behind. Red noticed the mountain getting smaller and smaller. It had been his home for the past years. He squashed his feelings of homesickness and turned towards Pallet town. It was hard, leaving the mountain to rejoin society, but this was the decision he had made. He just hoped he wouldn't regret it.

* * *

**(Skip)**

Professor Samuel Oak, known as Prof. Oak, looked at the Pokémon that were wondering around his field. His had finished his job for the day and decided to take a walk around his field. Walking with the Pokémon always relaxed him. Suddenly, he heard the sound of slicing air. He turned his attention to the sky and widened his eyes from what he saw.

A Charizard dived towards him. His first instinct was to take out a pokéball and battle the wild Pokémon. When the professor realized he didn't have it, he thought about running back to his idea was quickly dismissed. He knew that if Charizard was intent on pursuing him, it would reach the lab far faster than he would.

The Charizard landed in front of him and Prof. Oak could see that the Charizard was not wild. There was someone on its back. He was relieved for a second before another thought came into his mind. It wasn't the first time someone from an evil organization had taken control of a Pokémon in order to get back at the professor.

The old professor watched warily as Charizard's trainer got off his Pokémon's back. A red beam engulfed Charizard and Prof. Oak immediately recognized its trainer.

His eyes widened in shock. He never expected a trainer to fly in on a Charizard; especially _that_ trainer. He shakily approached; He was afraid this encounter might be a dream. The last time he saw this trainer was years ago and had never heard a word from him since. He had always wanted to go to Mt. Silver to check on him, but just couldn't leave his job.

"Red?" Prof. Oak asked.

"Yes." Red replied simply and before he realized, Prof. Oak was hugging him.

"Oh, how I've missed you!" Oak exclaimed as he released Red from his embrace; happy to see the man he thought of as his own son (or maybe even grandson), "Not that I'm unhappy you're here, but why _are_ you here?"

"I want to start another journey," Red said, straight to the point. "And I need your help."

Professor Oak was shocked, Red wanted to start another journey, and his decision wasn't influenced by anybody. This was the first time Red had shown any sign of leaving that blasted mountain for an extended period of time. Whenever Prof. Oak had tried to convince him, Red had refused, stating that he did not need to go to another region. Kanto was enough for Red. Red's sudden change of heart was a pleasant surprise for Prof. Oak. Still…

"You haven't changed Red," said Prof. Oak with a smile, "Your choice vocabulary is still without embellishments. Come, we'll talk in my lab."

Red nodded and followed Prof. Oak.

* * *

**(Skip)**

"I see," said the professor as he watched Red play with Pikachu. He smiled at their interactions before he thought about which region was suitable for Red. Red had filled the professor in on what had occurred during the years they had last seen each other and the professor was happy Red was doing well. The growth of Red's Pokémon surprised Prof. Oak greatly. From what Red had told him, he wanted to go to a region that was unaware of his reputation but still had strong and skilled trainers.

Something clicked in the professor's mind. "I think, I know the perfect region for you Red," said the professor which gained Red's attention. "Go to Unova."

"Unova." Red repeated. He'd never heard of the Unova region before.

"Unova is far away from the other four large regions," explained the professor, "So it's no wonder you haven't heard of it. Ordinary trainers shouldn't know who you are, and the gym leaders probably won't either. There's a small chance that the Elite four and their champion Alder would know but they might not mention it." Prof. Oak smiled at Red. He added, "Also, the Pokémon that inhabit Unova are diverse and different from those in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. It truly will be a completely new adventure for you."

Red nodded as he digested the information. Unova probably was the best region for him to go to. His reputation wouldn't have reached that far. This could be a fresh start for him.

"Also there will be Pokémon world tournament in Unova." Prof. Oak added slyly, knowing it would get Red's attention.

"Pokémon world tournament? What's that?" Red asked carefully.

"Ah, it's a tournament where prominent Trainers from other region will compete against each other to decide who the strongest trainer is. Also, if it's a trainer that wins, they will have the chance to battle Lance and become the champion of Kanto. If I'm not mistaken, a previous challenger of the Indigo League is also planning on being there. She's quite strong and I believe she'll give you a run for your money." Prof. Oak said. He noticed Red was smiling and his eyes gleamed with passion. Prof. Oak knew that Red wanted to go. He knew the boy well enough to realize that a good battle was the thing to get Red raring.

"I see" Red said, as he hid the feeling of anticipation that he felt. His body trembled slightly, thinking of the battles that awaited him in Unova. "Then I will go."

Prof. Oak smiled, "Then I will contact my friend, Professor Juniper, to handle the papers for you. Who knows, maybe you'll find a great battle partner, or just a great partner in general." The professor winked.

"Thank you Professor," said Red, grateful for all the times the old Professor had assisted him.

"Nonsense," Prof. Oak said dismissively, "This my duty and the least I could do for you."

A smile appeared on Red usually stoic face, "Yes, I guess so."

* * *

**(Skip)**

Prof. Oak watched as Red took off with his Charizard. Red had refused to travel in an airplane. Instead, he said the flight would build Charizard's speed and stamina.

Prof. Oak just shook his head and sighed. That was Red. He was surprised, however, when Pikachu listened to Red and went back into its poke ball. Something the mouse Pokémon was known to hate. _Red is an astounding trainer. I'm glad he's going to compete._

As he stared at the disappearing figures of Red and Charizard, he allowed himself a small smile. The Pokémon World Tournament was in for a rude awakening. Red would certainly surprise everyone. Except maybe _her._

After the tournament though, Prof. Oak hoped Red wouldn't go back to that mountain. He believed that wandering the world with a companion would be a great way for Red to get stronger and help the people around him get stronger as well. Red was destined for greatness, yet… He just didn't interact with the world like he used to. The professor knew that Red needed a friend who would stand beside him and keep him social. But because of his personality and attitude, Red didn't have many people who would count him as friends. And there were only maybe two people Red respected enough to count as a 'friend.' As talented as Red was, making friends was not his forte. And making true friends would be even harder. _People like Red,_the professor thought, _are cursed with that. But Red might have it even worse._

Prof. Oak sighed as he turned back towards his lab. It was time to call some people and bring them news about Red. He let out a small chuckle while he imagined their expression when he told them that the king of Mt. Silver had left his throne and gone to Unova. It would be entertaining to say the least. He only hoped that Red would forgive him for this, but an old man sometimes needed something to gossip about.

* * *

**A/N  
**

**Hey everyone, how'd you like the first chapter so far? I haven't started developing a plot yet (sorry about that). I just wanted to start with something nice. Maybe take it slow. Haven't decided on how I want to continue it after Fateion ended his story. I know I want to add a character that isn't in the anime, manga, or game but haven't thought about it too much further. The new charrie will be female and be friends with Cynthia. I wanna get in on some Cynthia x Steven (Lolishatashipping? Where did that get its name?) action ;) ;) Please post reviews, I'll get the next chapter up soon :) But I totally ship Dawn and Paul. Like omg. Please help me. I can't get over how cute they are together. Go IkariShipping! I'm such a noob. Tell me if you want me to add that into the story. Or maybe create a separate one around Dawn and Paul?**


	2. Wayy Too Stiff

**(Skip)**

Professor Juniper was waiting for the trainer Professor Oak had mentioned. She had to admit, her curiosity was peaked when Professor Oak had told her the trainer would be travelling by Charizard instead of airplane. Juniper could tell, from how Prof. Oak spoke of him, that the old man had great respect for this trainer. She wondered what kind of trainer could make even the old professor become reverent. She still doubted the trainer would arrive in Unova by the end of the day but the professor had insisted the trainer would arrive.

She absentmindedly glanced at the empty sky and let out a sigh. Before she could decide to go back inside, something caught her attention.

A Pokémon was flying towards her at great speed. Narrowing her eyes to get a better look, she noticed it was a Charizard. There was a rider on the dragon-like Pokémon's back. This must be the trainer Professor Oak had mentioned. She waited patiently as Charizard approached and then landed.

Juniper let out a small gasp as she finally saw the trainer. The trainer wasn't another ten year old, he was a young man. It made more sense now that Prof. Oak would respect this young man. She inspected him. He was quite handsome. His black hair was being blown gently by the wind and his red eyes seemed to be glowing underneath his hat. She silently cursed Professor Oak for not telling her it would be a young man instead of a boy. Most of Juniper's time was spent researching Pokémon but that didn't mean she couldn't act like a woman around an attractive man.

"Are you Professor Juniper?" asked the trainer while his red eyes studied her.

Juniper was suddenly aware of what she was wearing. She really should put more effort in looking presentable. "Yes, and I'm assuming you're the trainer Professor Oak mentioned?"

He nodded, "I'm Red."

"Well then, please follow me back to my lab. I need to finalize a few things before you can begin your journey in Unova."

He nodded again and followed Juniper. He sighed inwardly as he noticed Juniper sneaking glances in his direction as they walked. Maybe he gained another fan girl he thought with exasperation. He still wondered what made him appealing to women.

**Quick A/N**

How's it going so far? You liking the story? I'd just like to say that Red still has fan girls, even though he's been absent from society for the past... six years?

* * *

**(Skip)**

"Okay, that's it," said Professor Juniper. She stopped her typing and handed Red a Pokédex.

Red pocketed his new Pokédex. "Thanks Professor."

Juniper nodded at him while smiling charmingly. From her short interaction with Red, she deduced that he was a man that appreciated the concept of brevity. His answers were short and to the point, bordering on rude.

"Are you sure you don't want a Unova starter Pokémon?" asked Juniper. She had offered one to him originally but it didn't hurt to try again. She had enough Pokémon that she could always spare one for a good home.

Red shook his head.

"Well, if you're sure, then I guess that's fine." Juniper just wanted the day to be over. "Why not rest for a day or two first? You don't have to start your journey immediately."

"Thank you for your hospitality professor but I would really like to be going now," Red told her. He wanted to see what kinds of Pokémon and challenges Unova had to offer.

"Okay, but please just call me Juniper from now on and if you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask me." Juniper sighed at Red's business-like attitude. He was so different from all the other prospective trainers that came through her research center for their starter Pokémon. But then again, Red didn't need a starter Pokémon and he had already been on a journey before.

Red nodded, as if he wished to thank her but didn't want to say the words, and walked away.

Juniper watched Red's back as he exited her lab and rubbed her temples.

"He's way too stiff," Juniper muttered and turned to her job. Red was not her type for sure. That man was cold as ice. She wondered what kind of woman could get his attention but shook her head; there was no point in even thinking about it.

* * *

**(Skip)**

Red stared at Nimbasa City impassively as he absentmindedly returned Charizard back into its pokéball. It had been several weeks since Red first arrived in Unova. So far, he liked what he saw. The trainers he had challenged were full of surprises. Battling against Unova Pokémon had been more fascinating than he had predicted. Of course, he had still beaten every one of them easily but their strategies had new flavors. Therefore, he made the decision to add some Unova Pokémon to his team. After intense and brutal training, Red was completely satisfied with his Pokémon. They had grown beyond his expectations in such a short time. Now, they could hold their own against even Pikachu for a decent amount of time.

He reflected on how he had spent his time before reaching Nimbasa City. Red knew he at least had to gain some badges to enter the Pokémon World Tournament and quickly decided to challenge the gym leaders. It was good practice for him to experience even stronger trainers. Before reaching Nimbasa City, he had already achieved the Trio Badge from Striaton, the Basic Badge from Nacrene, the Insect Badge from Castelia, the Quake Badge from Driftveil, the Freeze Badge from Icirrus, the Jet Badge from Mistralto, the Wave Badge from Humilau, and the Legend Badge from Opelucid. He already had his eight required badges but decided that Elesa's Bolt Badge would be good practice for his Pikachu.

From all the gym leaders he had battled, the one that had provided the most entertaining battle was Drayden, Opelucid City's dragon type gym leader. He was looking forward to battling him again in the Pokémon World Tournament. Provided Drayden got far enough. Skyla's Jet Badge had been his most irritating win. Sky Battles were poor substitutions for the fun and challenge of a real gym match. He had wanted to give him a piece of her mind, but had decided not to. People would wonder who he was and how he dared to challenge a gym leader like Skyla. Red wasn't quite ready to reveal his identity. He only hoped to see her at the PWT so she would be forced to battle another trainer.

After reflecting on his previous battles, Red entered the city, searching for the gym. Nimbasa City was lively, full of attractions and street vendors. It looked like a fair was taking place and the entire city had left their houses to come and participate. By following the crowd, he found the gym easily. As he neared his destination, he noticed the crowd was composed mainly of teenage girls who were all wearing the same basic outfit; black leggings with a yellow top. To Red, it looked like an elongated gumdrop shape was cut out of the front of the shirt and then held together by black strips of fabric. He shook his head. What those people were wearing wasn't important. He maneuvered through to crowd to reach the entrance.

After a jolting roller coaster car ride into the gym, the first thing he saw was a glamorous stage. It seemed that Elesa had turned the battlefield into one big stage and their battle would be treated like a show. He gritted his teeth in annoyance. A Pokémon gym challenge was serious, not some spectacle. Still, he realized that it was a wise move to make an appointment like Drayden had suggested. Elesa must have a schedule if she was entertaining such large crowds, in her gym no less. He suddenly realized that a fashion show was taking place on the battlefield/stage. It looked like Elesa was just wrapping up and as the cheers died down, she disappeared behind the curtain. Red had leaned against the gym entrance and wondered what Elesa's battle strategy would be. He had spent the time thinking of moves and possible counter-moves the Electric-type specialist gym leader would use.

Elesa appeared back on the stage. "Thank you all for coming today!" Elesa shouted to the crowds, "I have one more surprise for you all!"

The crowd went crazy. They began to speculate what Elesa's surprise was. Red stared at the ground, the gym leader enjoyed being the center of attention. She was the completely opposite of Red.

"Today, there will be a challenger to the Nimbasa gym! I hope you can all stay to see the fight," beamed Elesa. She flashed her smile and winked to the crazily cheering crowd.

A light illuminated Red's figure.

"Challenger, please come to the stage," beckoned Elesa.

Red sighed and walked onto the stage.

Elesa faced the crowd, "Let me introduce you all to today's challenger, Red!"

Red's eye twitched from the attention. He was beginning to grow uncomfortable.

"Welcome to the stage, Red!"

Red just nodded and took out a poké ball which made Elesa smiled.

"Wow, you seem impatient!" Elesa said, "The flame in you burns brightly!"

Red narrowed his eyes, recognizing the jab at his name.

"Now, let's express ourselves and our true passions on this stage!" At these words, a referee entered the stage. "The Nimbasa gym battle is about to begin. This will be a three on three battle which will end when one side's three Pokémon are unable to battle. Only the challenger is permitted to make substitutions."

"Zebstrika, the bright light is on you!" Elesa threw her poké ball onto the field and summoned her first Pokémon.

Red studied the Pokémon, and decided who he should choose. Without a word, he threw his poké ball to the field and revealed, "Pikachu!"

"Wow, a Pikachu!" Elesa was excited to battle such a rare find, "What a lovely Pokémon! This is only the second time I've meet a trainer who had a Pikachu"

Red raised his eyebrow at her comment. He didn't know there was another trainer in Unova with a Pikachu. For now, he put the information away in his mind. During a gym battle, he couldn't afford to be distracted.

"Let the battle began!" the referee yelled.

Elesa had prepared for Red to go first, but to her surprise, he did not. It wasn't often that she had the first move. Elesa studied Red in earnest. She thought he was just a newbie trainer but she realized now that he wasn't. Noticing Red's calculating gaze, she smiled. He wasn't like Ash. This would be a fun battle.

"Zebstrika, show him your glow, quick attack!" Elesa ordered, trying to get a raise on Red.

Red was almost caught off guard as Zebstrika rushed towards Pikachu with amazing speed. Fortunately, years of battle experience allowed him to react, "Dodge Pikachu!

The yellow mouse dodged in the coming attack by jumping to the side.

"Fast," remarked Red.

Elesa smiled, "Why, thank you, did Zebstrika's fantastic speed leave you dizzy? My beloved Pokémon will certainly make your head spin!"

The crowd cheered for their gym leader.

"Pikachu use agility and then double team!" ordered Red. Pikachu ran towards Zebstrika and began to glow white. Multiple Pikachu's sprang out from its body and started to circle the zebra-like Pokémon, causing it to become dizzy.

"Zebstrika, stay calm!" Elesa shouted. She knew what Red was trying to do. "Discharge and hit them all."

"Low sweep iron tail."

Pikachu's tail turned into shiny metal and turning on its paw, it spun on the ground.

"Jump Zebstrika!" Elesa reacted immediately and her Pokémon was able to quickly evade Pikachu's attack and move away from danger Zebstrika released its discharge but didn't hit anything.

Not wasting any time, the two trainers shouted out their next moves.

"Zebstrika, use flame charge!"

"Pikachu, thunder!"

Elesa's Zebstrika stomped on the battlefield, building up friction. It's body burst into flames and charged towards Pikachu. Pikachu jumped up and released a devastating Thunder attack that connected directly with Zebstrika. Dust plumes rose from the ground and obstructed Elesa's view of Zebstrika.

"Pikachu, continue your Thunder while using Iron Tail." Red wanted to take advantage of Elesa's lack of vision and hurriedly launched an attack. He knew Zebstrika was still standing. Pikachu would have signaled otherwise if the battle had ended.

The dust cleared before Pikachu's Iron Tail hit. Zebstrika's flame charge was still struggling against Pikachu's bolt of lightning. Red's eyes widened slightly. Elesa's Zebstrika was still going, even though it looked exhausted. Pikachu's thunder had been sufficient for a knock out during another battle with a different Zebstrika. He wondered whether the flames acted as a buffer that negated the effectiveness of his attack. His thought track stopped when Pikachu's Iron Tail hit Zebstrika on the head. The Thunderbolt Pokémon was instantly knocked out.

It was Elesa's turn to be surprised. Red had commanded his Pikachu to use Thunder and Iron Tail at the same time. Any normal trainer wouldn't have been able to pull it off but Red's Pikachu made it look like it was nothing. She mentally applauded Red's move and made a note of it. One day, she would have to train her Pokémon to use moves simultaneously.

Red and Elesa both sighed in disappointment (Red because he thought the battle had gone too quickly and Elesa because she had lost) and waited for the referee to call the match. For the first time, both trainers noticed that the crowd was silent. They looked around and saw shocked faces surrounding them. The battle had been over so quickly but both Pokémon had pulled off stunningly fast speeds and powerful attacks. This was the first time they had seen a trainer of that caliber in Elesa's stadium.

"Uhh… Zebstrika is unable to battle, Pikachu is the winner!" stuttered the referee after she finally regained her speech. The crowd shouted out encouragement to Elesa.

Elesa turned her attention to Red and smiled, "You and your Pokémon... are shining brilliantly. This is the first time I've ever had such a battle. You've certainly dazzled me with your glow!"

Red merely nodded at her as Pikachu bounded onto his shoulder happily. Elesa pouted at Red's reaction, or lack thereof.

"Return Zebstrika, you finished with grace." As she recalled Zebstrika back into its poké ball, she realized her hand was wet with sweat. Their first battle wasn't what Elesa had expected. It was almost like she had battled another gym leader or even a champion (haha, dramatic irony). She grabbed her next poké ball tightly and felt a rushing sensation she hadn't felt for a long time.

Meanwhile, Red wasn't sure coming to Nimbasa City was worth it. His battle with Elesa hadn't been nearly as enjoyable as his battle with Drayden. It just wasn't enough to get him excited. He wanted a trainer with strong Pokémon and a solid strategy. Elesa wasn't a bad trainer and her Pokémon were certainly not weak, his victory was just too easy. He needed something to make him serious about winning.

"Go, Emolga! The bright light is on you!" Elesa threw her poké ball onto the field. A flying mouse-like bat Pokémon appeared.

Red hesitated slightly. His next Pokémon would make it look like he had an unfair size advantage. Still, this was the perfect chance to test Elesa and allow his next Pokémon to have a battle. "Go, Tyranitar."

Tyranitar looked like a large dinosaur with green spikes coming out of its back and head. It roared at Emolga, making the small creature stare at it warily. The crowd yelled angrily, knowing Emolga might be at a disadvantage. They wanted their gym leader to win. Red had first encountered his Tyranitar when it was only a tiny Larvitar. He had trained it at Mt. Silver until it evolved into its final stage.

Elesa realized it would be a difficult battle for her. Even though Emolga certainly had the speed advantage, one hit from Tyranitar would most like be enough to end the battle. Elesa suddenly realized something. The first battle was between Pikachu and Zebstrika, both of which were electric type Pokémon so neither had an advantage. Therefore, trainer skill had played a huge part in the battle, as well as Pokémon strength. The second battle would be between Emolga and Tyranitar. Even though Emolga's electric attacks would do some damage, Tyranitar's rock attacks would be super effective against Emolga. Emolga's flying type attacks would only cause minimal damage. What puzzled Elesa was that Tyranitar had the type advantage against her Zebstrika but Red had chosen to use a Pikachu against another electric type. Most trainers would've opted for the type advantage. Red seemed to raise the difficulty level for himself. It wouldn't surprise her if his last Pokémon was a water type. It only made Elesa wonder whether or not she had seen Red's true abilities as a trainer. She squashed her thoughts immediately, she needed to attack first or she would be at an even greater disadvantage.

"Emolga dear, use attract won't you?" Elesa sang out as she winked at Red. To her irritation, Red didn't seemed affect by her flirtations. Normally, male trainers at least blushed or stammered. Red's face remained stolid.

"Emol-emolga!" Emolga winked and hearts began to circle around her body and they headed towards Tyranitar.

"Scary Face," ordered Red.

Elesa couldn't help but make a remark as Scary Face neutralized Attract, "Just like you. Scary but charming."

Red raised an eyebrow at her comment but didn't reply. "Hyper Beam."

She hadn't expected Red to use such a powerful attack so soon. Nevertheless, she composed herself, "Emolga, use Acrobatics to dodge."

Tyranitar's Hyper Beam missed Emolga as she began to bob around Tyranitar at great speeds.

"Just because your Tyranitar is an awful brute of a Pokémon, it won't scare us!" Elesa seemed defiant while Emolga just flew crazily through the air. "Let's see how you'll hit _my_ Emolga."

Red knew what Elesa meant. Emolga's small size made it difficult for Tyranitar to hit it. Still, he had a plan. "Sandstorm."

Tyranitar commanded a large Sandstorm and let it spread through-out the field. Emolga was finding it hard to continue maneuvering through the air. Elesa smirked, what a rookie move, "Emolga. Discharge."

Emolga's electricity coursed through Tyranitar's Sandstorm. The attack was unavoidable and Tyranitar was hit. Sandstorm stopped and Tyranitar was disorientated. Elesa didn't waste any time. "Now, use Electro Ball!" A ball of electricity was formed between Emolga's wings and shot at Tyranitar.

It's the perfect attack move against Tyranitar, thought Red. Electro Balls inflicts more damage the faster the user is compared to the target. Elesa's nimble Emolga had the distinct advantage against Red's clunky Tyranitar.

Red ordered, "Stone Edge," before the attack could hit. The Electro Ball hit Stone Edge and rocks flew all over the place. Tyranitar's armor shielded it from the worst of the impact.

"Once again, dodge using Acrobatics," Elesa said as Emolga maneuvered around, evading the rock.

"Use Hyper Beam!" Red shouted and his Pokémon shot a beam of pure energy straight at the Sky Squirrel Pokémon.

"Fly downwards!" Elesa yelled urgently, which Emolga obeyed as the Pokémon narrowly evaded the Hyper Beam. Tyranitar recharged as Emolga dodged the last of the flying rocks.

"Stone Edge," Red ordered as soon as he saw Emolga land.

"Acrobatics to dodge, then Discharge!" Elesa ordered, as she felt a cold sweat appeared on her forehead. Red had almost cornered her with this attack.

Once again, Emolga narrowly evaded Tyranitar. She immediately unleashed Discharge and the Armor Pokémon took it head on. This was still too close for Elesa's taste. Red could have ended it easily.

"Shake it off. Mean Look." Red said calmly and Tyranitar flashed a Mean Look, making Emolga discontinue her attack. Discharge had still done its damage though. Before Red could order his next attack, Elesa shouted, "

"Close the stage with Volt Switch Emolga!"

"Hyper Beam," ordered Red immediately.

Volt Switch crashed into Hyper Beam and was easily overpowered. Emolga was blasted into the wall behind Elesa, leaving a small crater. Tyranitar looked unharmed by the last attack.

Red allowed himself a small smile while the referee called out the results. "Emolga is unable to battle! The winner is Red."

"Excellent Emolga, you put on a spectacular show!" Elesa beamed at her unconscious Pokémon as she returned her back into the poké ball. "You shine brilliantly Red, it almost made me blind," Elesa told him, "However, it is time for me to show you my next Pokémon's glow. I'm sure it'll make your head spin!"

The crowd cheered. They knew Elesa was going to battle with _that_ Pokémon.

"A properly dramatic victory requires a dash of danger and a pinch of peril," Elesa said and threw a poké ball, "It's time for my electric queen, the bright light is on you... Tynamo!"

An eel-like Pokémon appeared on the field.

Red wasn't usually someone to judge a Pokémon by appearance but it seemed unfair for such a small thing like Tynamo to fight against Tyranitar. Red felt like a bully. He knew he should never underestimate a gym leader's last Pokémon. Tyranitar had accumulated enough damage that Red didn't want to make it battle again. However, he did want to see Tynamo's power before pitting a fresh Pokémon against it.

"Tyranitar, be alert," Red simply ordered.

Elesa smirked, "Tynamo, use tackle!" If any of her Pokémon could win a battle for her, it would be Tynamo.

In the blink of an eye, Tynamo had charged forward and crashed into Tyranitar. The larger Pokémon was blasted out of the field and into the wall. Red was speechless.

"What's the matter Red?" chuckled Elesa while she smiled innocently. Red finally knew how she felt when she first witnessed Pikachu's speed. She always enjoyed the variety of shocked expressions trainers gave if they were lucky enough to battle Tynamo. "Am I just too dazzling for you?"

Without saying a word, Red returned Tyranitar back to its Poké ball. He hoped this would be a fun battle for him. The Nimbasa Gym had at least allowed him a decent battle. He should at least thank her for that. He removed another Poké ball from his belt. "I certainly hope you're ready. This will be this Pokémon's first debut."

Elesa looked up with surprise, this was the first time Red had addressed her directly.

"I hope you stand a chance."

"I'm ready for whatever you throw into the field (haha get it, word play!)." Elesa smirked. She was confident her Tynamo could defeat at least one more of Red's Pokémon.

Red tossed his Poké ball onto the field. "I would appreciate if you assisted me."

Elesa was right. He hadn't seen Red's true abilities as a trainer. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she saw his Pokémon. The crowd fell silent in surprise. Elesa only had time to say one word before a bright light engulfed the field:

"Impossible."

* * *

**A/N  
**

Hey guys, I wasn't sure if I wanted to start with something completely new just yet so just enjoy this edited version of Fateion's "Champion Return." Please subscribe and review? I would really appreciate it :) Also tell me what you wanna see in the story. Next two chapters probably coming soon since most of it's just the original story edited.


	3. A New Rival

**(Skip)**

Red watched Elesa with pity as he recalled his Pokémon. The battle had been short, but intense; for Elesa that is. He sighed inwardly. Maybe he shouldn't have used that Pokémon. The crowd seemed to be afraid of him now.

Elesa fell to her knees and her eyes took in the rubble that was her battle field. She hadn't stood a chance against Red. This had been the first time she had battled, not to win, but to simply survive. She wondered how Red could be that strong. His strength was on par with Alder's, or maybe even more.

The referee managed to stammer, "R..Red.. the challenger wins." after she had regained her composure.

Red ignored the whispers from the crowd and he approached Elesa.

"You're strong," said Red as he helped her up, "But not strong enough."

His words seemed to snap at her heels. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and wish the world away. But she couldn't. Her pride couldn't let her and she straightened and glared at him. She was still a gym leader. "You shined like a thousand suns and you're exceptionally strong in battle. Something I must admit," she said, although begrudgingly. She had tasted the bitterness of terrible defeat. During her entire career as a gym leader and her entire time as a Pokémon trainer, she had never felt the same kind of helplessness she had felt during her battle with Red. She took out her Bolt Badge and tossed it to him. "You earned it."

Red caught the badge and put it in his badge case. Unknowingly, he had shown Elesa his eight Unova badges.

"Who are you?" she whispered. Based on her knowledge, Red had been in Unova less than a month and already he had challenged eight gyms and won. At most, he should only have six. This solidified her suspicion. Red was no newbie trainer.

The crowd was still quiet. Red put his badge case back into his pocket. He turned his attention to Elesa and fixed a calculating gaze on the Nimbasa City gym leader. He wondered if he should say something to her. As he saw her blazing eyes, Red knew that she would find out on her own. He turned away and began walking towards the exit.

"What? Wait, Red!" yelled Elesa angrily. She took a step towards him. "Answer my question! Who are you?"

Red turned his head to look back at her. "Red, Pokémon Trainer." He continued walking.

Elesa was upset. She wasn't used to being treated like a nobody. Red was getting on her nerves. She had never met anyone like him before. He was cold, uncaring, distant, and his attitude was distasteful. She gritted her teeth in frustration while glaring at his back. She had never felt her blood boil before.

"Pokémon World Tournament," he called over his shoulder, "If you want a rematch."

The crowd could see his smirk.

Before Elesa could react, Red was already gone. There was about a month until the Pokémon World Tournament took place. A fire burned in her as she decided to clear her schedule. She would use that month to do intense training with her Pokémon and when the time came for her to face Red again, she would win. She wasn't scared. Her pride and reputation were at stake...

* * *

**(Skip)**

The Pokémon world tournament was projected to be the biggest tournament that the regions had ever held. It wasn't because of the sheer size of the tournament but because of the participants that entered the tournament. Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova gym leaders and champions all gathered for the tournament. Never in the history of Pokémon, had all the gym leaders and champions conglomerated for one event before. Many trainers from all over the Pokémon world came to Unova to compete. For them, if they made it far enough, it would be their only chance to battle against other regional champions. The tournament was to be held just south of Driftveil City which made gym leader Clay ecstatic at how much attention his little town was getting.

However, because of the enormous amount of trainers who wished to compete, they had to collect at least eighty percent of their region's badges as well as go through a qualifying round. The designers of the tournament expected the number of trainers to be cut in half. But if not, then trainers would keep competing until only forty were left. Those lucky few would be battling the gym leaders and champions.

After much anticipation, the day registration began finally arrived.

* * *

**(Skip)**

Red stared at the stadium where the PWT was being held. It was big; bigger than any stadium he had ever seen. He looked around and he saw trainers, gym leaders and even a champion walking around. He recognized some of them but they hadn't recognized him. He didn't feel like meeting them. People were just so not his thing. He had arrived two days ago but still hadn't registered. Registering early meant he would be in the system and someone could search him up and find him. Although some people already knew he would be here (like Elesa), by not registering, he maintained the illusion that he was not here. People who wanted to see him would wait instead of search.

Today was the last day to register in the tournament though. He would have to come out from the shadows if he still wanted to enter. The people who knew he was coming gathered around the registration desk, knowing he would have to show his face in order to enter. He was patient though. He planned to wait until registration was almost over before heading over there. He predicted that by then, most of the waiters would've already left.

The sky was so blue and there wasn't a cloud in sight. He wondered if this was a good omen. What would await him at the PWT? He had decided to join the tournament, not for the title of Pokémon Master, but for an entertaining battle. He wanted to feel alive again. There was also another reason he had entered the tournament. It was more of a hope than a reason though. Red had denied it during his travels in Unova but now that the tournament was approaching, he had come to acknowledge it. People might wonder why he hoped for something like that but he didn't care. He would put his everything into the tournament and maybe he would be rewarded. The Pokémon World Tournament might determine his fate.

* * *

**(Skip)**

Lance, the master of dragon type Pokémon and champion of Indigo Plateau, sighed in disappointment as he looked at the registration counter. He had waited right in front of the counter since this morning, hoping to catch a certain trainer. He had not been alone. Originally, the entire group of Kanto gym leaders had been with him, except Giovanni (who had refused to enter the PWT), and Clair, his cousin and a Johto gym leader. They all wanted to see Red, but for different reasons. However, as the sky darkened, some gym leaders gave up and either returned to their hotel or gone elsewhere. Right now, it was just him, Sabrina and Clair left. Erika, Janine, Lt. Surge, and Blaine had given up. They were followed by Misty and Brock who had left with Ash, Iris and Cilan in order to do some catching up.

Lance saw Sabrina leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. He then looked at Clair and saw his cousin not far from Sabrina. Her face was without emotion and she was looking at the sky. He sighed tiredly. Their situation was just too tense for his liking. Lance didn't know what they were thinking, but he was certain it would have something to do with Red. The sky was beginning to grow grayer and grayer as storm clouds gathered. He hoped Red would show up soon.

As he waited, his mind began to wander. It had been a long time since he had climbed Mt. Silver and challenged Red to that Pokémon battle. When Professor Oak had told him Red had finally left that idiotic mountain, he had been relieved. It soon turned to disappointment when Oak had told him Red was going to Unova. Lance had secretly hoped for a rematch. But when the professor had mentioned that Red would be competing in the Pokémon World Tournament Lance was excited. Maybe he would get that rematch after all.

Lance's first battle with Red had been mind-blowing. Red had challenged and defeated the Elite Four which earned him the right to challenge Lance for his position as Champion. The world waited for the challenge but it never came. Soon after, Lance learned that Red had gone to Mt. Silver to train. Instead of waiting for Red to challenge him like he should've, Lance high-tailed it to Mt. Silver where he challenged Red to a Pokémon battle. The battle that ensued had been the most intense and entertaining battle had had ever had. To think that a trainer at eleven could defeat him in such a manner was stunning. Still, he had been happy that someone had finally defeated him. Lance had offered Red his position as Champion of Kanto. Having Red as Champion meant that Lance could focus more on being a good Champion in Johto and also his job as a G-man. It was a shock for him when Red declined the position. Lance understood why though. He didn't want to force it on the young boy and ceased to mention it.

Lance began to regret his decision after he was told Red had stayed on Mt. Silver and never left the mountain. He had self-doubts and continuously told himself that he should've tried to convince Red to become Champion. It would be unfortunate if the Pokémon world lost a trainer like Red. But it was already too late for that. He could only hope that Red would get off the mountain and rejoin the world. After a year of waiting, he had decided to do something. He planted the idea in Professor Oak's mind that there were too many trainers getting hurt from challenging Red. Although the statement was true, Lance still felt bad about manipulating the old professor. By limiting the number of trainers, Red would certainly get bored and seek more challenges once trainers stopped coming to the mountain. Lance was proud to say that his tactics had worked, even if no one knew it was his idea in the first place.

"Lance, it's been a long time." A female voice alerted him, making him turn towards it and see the Sinnoh champion, Cynthia.

"Cynthia," Lance greeted her, "It has been a long time."

"So what are you doing here?" Cynthia asked, pointing to the counter, "I thought you would've already registered yourself by now."

Lance chuckled, "Nothing, just killing time."

"Really…?" Cynthia asked incredulously, not buying it. She had heard that all of the Kanto gym leaders had been waiting here with their champion since morning. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to investigate. "You and the entire group of Kanto gym leaders?"

Lance cursed silently. Of course, Cynthia would not come here and meet him without reason. However, the topic of Red was a sensitive one. They never talked about him amongst others. They knew Red didn't like being needlessly bothered, and since he was such a talented trainer, they didn't wish to make him any more solitary. Then, there was Ash, who was the spitting image of Red which brought along some complications. Neither Lance nor the other gym leaders wanted Ash to live under the shadow of Red, so they guarded their information closely. Lance mentally reminded himself to thank Misty and Brock for their quiet persistence in keeping the information away from Ash.

"Yes," Lance admitted, as it was no use for him to deny it. However, he knew Cynthia would not stop until she got an actual answer. A simple 'yes' wouldn't satisfy the Sinnoh League Champion. Fortunately, he had a perfect excuse, "We just gathered together, to you know, resemble the whole unified thing we're trying to do."

Cynthia nodded in understanding. She knew how important it was for the gym leaders in a region to be, or at least appear, unified. However, she could not help feeling that this was not the entire truth. She decided to take a shot. "I see, I thought you all were waiting for someone."

Lance's blood froze at that. She had hit home.

Lance's body language confirmed it for Cynthia, making her sure that her assumption was correct. However, who were they all waiting for? Who was important enough to make all of the Kanto gym leaders and their champion wait with such determination? She decided to take another shot.

"But I guess I was wrong," Cynthia continued, "I just can't think anyone important enough to keep you all waiting."

Lance gulped, and looked towards Sabrina and Clair from the corner of his eyes. Sabrina was still leaning against the wall, but her eyes were open and glaring in Cynthia's direction. Clair joined in on the glare-fest with such menace that if looks could kill, Cynthia had just died a slow and painful death. He knew Cynthia was only trying to get a raise from him so she could find the truth. However, the way Cynthia said it, it made Red sound like some lowly trainer, which all could affirm that he wasn't. He knew Sabrina and Clair were taking this as a direct insult to Red even if that wasn't what Cynthia was intending. A nonofficial Kanto gym leader rule was to never insult Red in front of Sabrina or Clair. Lance still remembered what happened to Giovanni after the man had said Red was 'too weak to come down from his mountain.' The memory would never be a pleasant one for Giovanni.

Still, Lance did not understand why the two acted so protectively towards Red. He did know that both girls respected Red and put him in high regards, but he never found out the details as to what happened between them. Red was also the reason Sabrina and Clair clashed so often. Lance could only blame himself for introducing Clair to Red. But he couldn't have known that his cousin would've taken a liking to the mysterious mountain man. That was probably the reason Sabrina acted like she hated Lance. In a rage, she had accidentally used her psychic powers to communicate that she thought Clair was a threat to how much Red actually liked her. Whatever the reason, Lance was still confused.

Fortunately, Cynthia did not realize Clair and Sabrina's combined glaring. All of her attention was focused on Lance's possible unconscious reactions. But Lance knew he had to think of something to say, and fast, before Sabrina and Clair reached for their poke balls and made things too complicated to cover up.

"Yes, you were a little bit mistaken. But do you know where Marie is? I've been hoping to ask her out on another date." Lance winked at Cynthia slyly and the corners of Cynthia's mouth, along with Sabrina and Clair's, turned upwards into a friendly smirk.

She sighed, "Lance, you know she's never going to accept your invitation. But I guess if you want your head bitten off again… she's heading towards the grass stadium for a quick preview of what's to come. Although asking her out again might not be the best decision if you wish to stay alive until the competition." Cynthia chuckled softly and ran her hand through her long blonde hair. Her poor friend Marie would be in for an unwelcome meeting with Lance all because of her original inquiry. Marie was going verbally assault her when they met up. Cynthia had the strong desire to face-palm but decided it was unchampion-like behavior. Instead, she just sighed again.

"I'll take my chances, now let's go," Lance replied, a little too quickly. Cynthia narrowed her eyes as Lance took her arm. He knew she didn't like to be touched, and he was definitely hiding somethin.

"Come on, show me the way Cynthia." Lance pulled on her arm urgently, trying to avoid the battles of hurt pride if she had stayed.

Cynthia went along with it, even though she suspected something wasn't right. One thing she was certain about though, she would get an explanation from Lance. She liked to unravel mysteries. One of the reasons she continued to study Pokémon legends. She speculated, 'Maybe a date with Marie would get him to talk.' She smiled as she was dragged unwillingly by Lance towards the grass stadium.

* * *

**A/N**

**Hope you guys like the story so far? I've been having fun editing it! There's some humor that's going to be starting up. Please review and tell me who you want in relationships. I've still been thinking Cynthia x Steven and then Red x Marie. Lance doesn't ever get a date with Marie (just a spoiler ;) So... tell me what you think!**


	4. How've You Been Red?

**Chapter Four**

**A/N: As always, I don't own Pokémon. I don't know why I should say this every single freaking chapter because I'm a teenager without a life and if I owned Pokémon I would suddenly have a life... But eh, whateves, disclaimers be disclaiming. This is all my writing. R&R please :) I'll try to start or edit my one shoot other shipping stories.**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any aspect of Pokémon.**

* * *

**(Skip)**

Sabrina watched as Lance and Cynthia walked away. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. With Lance gone, Clair was the only one left with her. Sabrina would've preferred to be alone. She didn't know what kind of history Clair had with Red but she hoped it wasn't one that would threaten her relationship with Red. Clair would end up being a nuisance in the end. It was all Lance's fault. The Champion of the Indigo Plateau had introduced his little cousin to Red.

It had been such a long time since she had last seen Red. She wondered how much he had changed. She wondered if he would still be friends with her. When they parted, Red had been cold and callous. She still remembered how he had left her.

"Wait, Red?" she had asked.

He turned around but said nothing.

"Are you really leaving?"

He just nodded and she had never seen him again (sorry about that short piece of nothing dialogue).

Red had helped her build her gym and then accompanied her during her first challenges as gym leader. To her, Red was a role model, a strong trainer, and a friend. She still hoped to be more. After Red had left her so suddenly, her psychic powers had gone out of control. She had split into two personalities, the cold callous woman with a thirst for power and the little girl who just wanted to have fun. In essence, her behavior had become like Red's whenever she interacted with the outside world. But when Ash showed up and challenged her gym with his Haunter, everything changed. Ash looked just like Red. It was spooky. She was instantly nostalgic. During their battle, his Haunter had appeared in front of her while Kadabra was battling Pikachu. Haunter had made her laugh and her personalities were reunited. With Haunter's help, she was able to return to her normal self.

After she went back to normal, she had tried to go after Red. She wanted him to know what he had put her through when he left. However, she couldn't leave her position as gym leader long enough for her to climb Mount Silver. She almost quit but Lance had come and stopped her. He said that Red wouldn't want her to quit. She had accepted that reason but still wanted to see him. Lance had disagreed with her again and Sabrina almost used her psychic powers to eliminate him. Lance had just smiled and explained his proposition. After hearing what he had to say, Sabrina had to admit that his idea was much better than hers. It took some years, but Red was off the mountain.

She wasn't happy that he went to Unova before he came to see her. She was angry and hurt. But she knew she could see him at the Pokémon World Tournament. Sabrina knew she would have to deal with Red's unsympathetic behavior. To her, it was worth it. Red was worth it.

"Still..." Sabrina silently thought. Registration was almost closed, would Red show up? She wondered if Red would actually come to the tournament. This was so unlike Red. He had never liked the public.

Sabrina sighed again and closed her eyes, focusing her psychic powers so she could search for Red.

* * *

Clair watched Sabrina intently. She knew the other girl was using her psychic powers to search for Red. She would be doing the same if she had the ability. No matter how she hated to admit it, Sabrina was the only one that could find Red if he didn't want to be found. For now, _she_could only wait patiently. However, a small feeling of fear started to rise from the recesses of her mind. What if Red didn't come? What if he wouldn't come because she was there? Maybe he didn't like her? She was still upset when he had left her for his precious mountain. He was such a hard person to find. It seemed like he could just blend in with the crowd.

Unknown to everybody, she still visited him on Mt. Silver. Of course, she couldn't tell Red she was there just to see him. She made lame excuses like training, searching for rare Pokémon or just passing by. She knew that her excuses wouldn't go far with him and she began bringing him supplies or asking him if he needed anything. That's the reason Red never went down the mountain, even for supplies. She was sure someone would eventually find out, but to her surprise, no one suspected anything. This amused her to no end. Did people really think someone could live on Mount Silver without even having modern supplies? Well, this was Red.

Since Lance first introduced to Red, she had thought he was an enigma. He was a puzzle she tried to solve. Maybe that's why he was so intriguing to her. Red was also amazing with dragon-type Pokémon, or Pokémon in general. He was a great trainer. That's probably why her cousin liked him so much. Even though Lance annoyed her at times with his philosophical spiels about not bothering Red, she was glad he had introduced her to Red. She glanced at Sabrina; the thorn in her side. It wasn't the first time she wondered what kind of past Sabrina had with Red.

If only she had been the first to meet Red.

She shook her head. It wasn't good to think like that. Whatever had happened in the past, stayed in the past. She shouldn't think about things like that too deeply. Though, there was something that confused her. She always wondered if there was a connection between Red and Ash. The two looked so much alike, she had, at first, thought they were family. Both of them were from Pallet Town, but she wasn't aware that Red had siblings. They were complete opposites though. Their battling styles and personalities were astonishing different.

Clair's thoughts were interrupted as a drop of water hit her face. It had started to rain. Judging by how black the sky was, this would be a storm. She silently cursed, she had to take shelter inside the stadium otherwise she would be soaked. Even though she wanted to see Red first, she had to think of her own health. As she went inside the stadium, she wondered how a storm could come so fast. She attributed it to Unova's weird weather conditions. Maybe Zekrom was visiting again.

* * *

Unlike Clair, Sabrina stayed in her place, not bothering to take shelter. She could use her psychic powers to block the water. But she still questioned the origin of the storm. She couldn't shake the thought. Something was up. Weather wouldn't change _that_ quickly. Even in Unova. There could only be one reason for such a sudden change. Either a Pokémon or another Psychic manipulated the weather.

"Which brings us to another question," Sabrina thought, "Why?"

It could be a prank from a playful wild Pokémon. It had happened before. But a storm of this size was shocking for a wild Pokémon. The storm was also perfectly time. Registration was about to close.

Sabrina had reached the answer. All clues pointed to him. There wasn't any other trainer who had the ability or the nerve to do such a thing. She paid no mind to the storm. The wind began to buffet her face but she quickly used her powers to redirect it towards Clair. She wouldn't let this chance slip away. Clair wasn't outside, she would be the first to meet him. Suddenly, she felt a familiar presence. Slowly, she turned her head towards its direction.

Walking through the rain was a lone male trainer with a lavender colored cat looking Pokémon walking in front of him. Both trainer and Pokémon paid no attention to the storm. The rain and wind seemed to be avoid them.

"Psychic powers at work," Sabrina thought as she smiled. The cat Pokémon was Red's Espeon. She began to walk so she stood in front of Red.

Red and Espeon stopped. He stared at the ground and didn't acknowledge her. She couldn't see his face, but she knew for certain that this was Red. He lifted his head. Sabrina smiled as the familiar face and cold red eyes greeted her silently.

"Red."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed that chapter. (this is an updated A/N) Please read and review. There are more chapters coming. By the way, I love reading your reviews and I have read every single one, like a hungry cat. /facepalm. The rest of the story (continuing from this line break) is all original (as original as fanfic can get) and I wrote it all myselffff! Everything above that line break is a heavily edited version of Fateion's "Champion Return" Thanks to everyone who read this. And continue the chappie.**

* * *

**A/N: The entire portion below was not uploaded. It was a pretty important chapter. Marie is actually introduced like wtf. Oh and Marie is an original character based on my Pearl character. I've been informed that she's a Mary Sue and I'm working on correcting that in the coming coming chapters. But seriously, how did I not upload this? For the record, I was really upset. Off the record, I was still really upset.**

* * *

"Sabrina." He nodded in her direction and walked around her towards the Stadium, brushing past her. He ignored Clair's gaze as he entered and headed towards Nurse Joy who greeted him with her signature smile.

"Are you here to register for the Pokémon World Tournament?" she asked him while Audino beamed in Red's direction.

"Yes."

"Alright, I'll need to scan your pokédex and to see your eight badges."

Red complied, scanning his pokédex into the system, while showing Nurse Joy the badges he decided to take into the Pokémon world tournament. Still, his pokédex showed that he had accumulated all ten of the region's badges and Nurse Joy gasped in shock.

"My my, you must be quite the trainer to have ten Unova badges," she exclaimed.

"Thank you," Red replied simply. He mentally made a note to thank Professor Oak for insisting that he get a new Pokédex.

"Well, you're all registered. Here is your room key. You'll be sharing your room with a trainer named Marie. If you would like to switch rooms for whatever reason, you can contact the front desk at the hotel. Also, here is an access card for the stadium, just scan it whenever you begin a battle in order to enter the stadium. If you scan it into a PC, you may also see your current ranking and your upcoming opponent's stats. Furthermore, you can search for other trainers using the database. This card is very important as data from your wins, or losses, is written on it. That's it, if you have any more questions, feel free to ask." Nurse Joy carefully explained the necessary information as she did will all of the competitors that registered.

"Thank you."

"Good luck! And enjoy your time here." Nurse Joy flashed her smile again as Red turned to leave.

Red wondered how rooming with another person would be like, and with a girl no less. He wasn't sure who this Marie girl was, but if she decided to pry, he would have to switch rooms and be by himself. Maybe he could just camp out with his Pokémon like he did in Mt. Silver. He groaned inwardly as Sabrina came up to him.

"Hey there Red, it's good to see you again." She looked as if she wanted to hug him but restrained herself.

Clair pushed past Sabrina and did hug Red, her emotions couldn't be contained. "I've missed you so much Red, you don't even know. It's so weird that you're not at Mt. Silver anymore and you're competing here in Unova. How many badges have you won?"

"Ten total."

"Wow, that's so cool," Clair gushed like a little girl. She was no longer acting like an experienced gym leader who was renowned for grace and sophistication but a young lady in love.

Like usual, Red noted her emotions but did not react to them. His eyes were still cold and distant even though he was reunited with his two 'friends.'

"Thanks. I have to go to my hotel to put down my stuff and maybe change Pokémon. It was nice to see you." Red offered a smile which both girls greedily took.

* * *

**(Skip)**

Red arrived at the hotel to find Lance dragging an agitated blonde in a long black coat and pants after a stunningly beautiful, but pissed off, brunette.

"Aww, come on Marie! If I beat you, I just want one date! You should at least give me that much," Lance pleaded with her.

The brunette, Marie, her name was, as Red deduced, turned her nose up in disdain, "I can't believe you're still trying to ask me out Lance. You should really go buy some new capes or something."

Cynthia giggled and Marie winked at her. "Seriously Lance," she said in a normal voice, "You do realize that you're asking me out when you have Cynthia clinging to your arm right?"

Lance turned red and hastily let go of Cynthia. "Now will you accept?"

Marie laughed, a pleasant sound, so different from her earlier snooty behavior, Red thought.

"Of course Lance. It would be my honor to sit through three hours of torture with you as punishment for losing." She elbowed him in the side playfully and sidled away. Still turned around, about to wink at Lance, she ran straight into Red.

Marie's eyes widened as she realized she had bumped into a complete stranger, but they widened even farther as she registered she was about to fall backwards. In an unconscious motion, Red scooped her up and held her close to him, almost protectively. Marie blushed as she stared into Red's puzzled eyes. Lance saw the exchange with complete shock. The Red he knew would probably have just let her fall and said sorry and been done with it. But here was Red looking deep into Marie's eyes and holding a non-hostile gaze.

"I'm terribly sorry for bumping into you mister. I was uhh," she grimaced, "Flirting with umm Lance over there and didn't bother looking where I was going."

The self-disappointment in her voice at her confession made Red smile, "Don't worry about it."

"What's your name?"

"Red," he said as he released her from his hold a little bit unwillingly. He liked the feel of her in his arms. It was a new feeling, one he promised himself he would explore further when it happened again.

Marie seemed to be absorbed in thought for a moment before returning to the present, "Wait. Red… As in _the_ Red?" Her voice was absolutely incredulous.

Lance gulped nervously and Cynthia eyed him with a curious look. He motioned 'it's nothing' to her and she pursed her lips doubtfully.

Red paused for a moment. "Umm, yeah, the one and only I guess."

"Good answer," Marie giggled, "But I meant are you the one sharing a room with me?"

Lance's mouth fell open and Cynthia tapped his chin smugly, "There there, close your mouth little deerling. You'll certainly catch a fly with it open like that, but definitely not a Marie."

"Was that a joke?" Lance looked at her strangely.

Cynthia smiled slightly, "Indeed it was. Indeed it was."

"Well, I've been assigned to room 238 in the B building. Which is this one," Red answered quietly. Was this the girl he was supposed to share a room with? Although it wasn't an unwelcome prospect, he just wasn't sure how it would work out. He hadn't shared a living space with anyone besides his Pokémon for quite some time. And when he did share a room, it certainly wasn't with a female.

Marie seemed to catch onto Red's feelings because she reassured him, "I'm room 238 in the B building as well, but don't worry. If you don't wanna see my face in the morning you can take the bed closest to the door and we can put up a curtain if you would like." Red blushed slightly, not enough for anyone but Lance to tell, it wasn't seeing her face in the morning he was nervous about seeing. Marie smiled and Red couldn't help but be entranced by her simplicity. She was so different than Sabrina who had her mystical psychic powers. She also didn't have that powerful personality like Clair did. Even though Red liked both of the girls, he never had the feeling he was experiencing now with Marie when he was around them.

Lance was surprised; Red was being more social than he ever thought he could be. Maybe Marie could bring Red out of his shell and back into the world. She would be just the person Red was entranced with. Red looked out of place as he was talking to Marie. His whole aura seemed to shift towards happily uncomfortable. It's not that Lance could read auras. He could just read people rather well. It came with being the champion of the Indigo League. Cynthia however, was more puzzled than ever at Lance's preoccupancy with the new trainer who had identified himself as Red. _Could it be…?_ She wondered.

Pulling Lance aside she asked him quietly, "Is Red who the Kanto gym leaders and you have been waiting for? Red, the true champion of the Indigo League at eleven and the boy who is referred to as the 'trainer prodigy' and 'undefeatable?'"

"The true champion of the Indigo League? You insult me Cynthia," he teased. But then he sighed, "Yes, that's who we've been waiting for. He never leaves Mt. Silver and it was a surprise to all of us when he decided to come to Unova to compete in the Pokémon World Tournament."

Cynthia nodded in understanding, "So that's why you were so secretive and touchy."

"Touchy?" Lance questioned.

"You touched me. I count that as touchy," Cynthia explained.

"Oh."

Red and Marie finished their introductions and discussions and walked over to Cynthia and Lance. Marie was asking Red, "Which badges did you get, and which region? Since you're a trainer and everything you had to get badges. Oh, and which fields will you be competing in?"

"Fields?" Red asked before continuing, "And I've gotten all of the Unova region badges."

Marie laughed, "All of them? Wow, you must be quite a flame-head. Ugh, I hope you're not like Flint though. I shared a room with him two years back and have never quite gotten over the experience. It was so awkward. Flint's the fire type specialist in the Sinnoh elite four by the way, which is where I come from. Or at least, it's where I've gotten my eight required badges. But, why don't you know what the fields are? Don't you have a native Unova region companion or something? Ash has Iris and Cilan to help him. Hmm, I thought Nurse Joy would've explained it since you're obviously from Kanto." Red was surprised at how she knew he was from Kanto but he didn't want to ask her about it. In his mind, it was better appear unmoved rather than caught off guard. Lance was also surprised, as well as Cynthia, as to how Marie could have deduced such a thing so easily. Marie winked at the puzzled trio. "I know a Pallet Town boy when I see one. I've spent quite some time there with Professor Oak," she explained to them.

"I see," Red said, "You're quite interesting."

"I don't know whether to be offended or pleased, so I'll settle for no reaction."

Lance wanted to extricate Red and lead him back to where the Kanto gym leaders were, but he couldn't without risking making Marie wonder why he was behaving so anti-socially. So far, she seemed oblivious to who Red was. Lance knew it would only be a matter of time before she spread the word that the infamous Red from Mt. Silver was here in Unova and challenging the Pokémon World Tournament. But Lance realized he was okay with Marie rooming with Red. Maybe if he filled her in she would be fine and keep everything under wraps and quiet until Red appeared in battle. But there was another problem, as a trainer, Red had to go through the qualifying rounds in the four stadiums before he could battle as a contestant in the top forty in the main stadium. His immense power was sure to rock the stadium and someone would recognize him sooner or later. It was no matter at the time. Lance knew that if Marie knew the truth, she could keep his secret. They were friends for a reason; not just because Lance continuously hit on her. Lance began to plan how to get Red to leave Marie so he could talk to her.

Almost as if Marie knew what Lance was trying to formulate, she said, "Red, why don't you go ahead into the room and make the adjustments you need to feel comfortable. If you're there when I get back I'll happily explain the concept of the fields to you, if you still need to know." She smiled in a no-nonsense manner that made Red agree quickly and follow her suggestion.

* * *

**(Skip)**

Marie smiled after Lance had finished his request. "What's that for?" he asked her.

"Lance, you don't think I already know that? I spend enough time with the Prof. that I know almost everything about Red by now. He's not that interesting if you ask me. So what, he holes himself up in a mountain for a few years and he's undefeatable. It doesn't make him any different a person as the rest of the trainers here. He's just more powerful. Don't worry, I'll treat him like I would treat you." Marie winked.

Lance paled. "No, no, no…" he grumbled, "I don't want you to weird him out, I just want you to be natural."

Marie giggled, "Always the charmer with words aren't you Lance?" Cynthia smiled at that and she tapped Marie on the shoulder.

"Hey, how about we walk together for awhile and catch up, here you are all tangled in Lance's web and I haven't even gotten a moment along with my best friend." Cynthia pulled at Marie's sleeve gently.

"I would love to Cynthia. Lance, don't worry. Red will be treated as a friend. Or at least, you know what I'm trying to say." Marie followed Cynthia and the two women started their female chatter.

Lance sighed in relief. He knew that fix was only temporary but it would at least give Red a friend who didn't admire him too much and one that Red at least seemed comfortable around. Now, he had to go deal with Sabrina and Clair and their potent jealousy and over-protectiveness.

* * *

**(Skip)**

Marie laughed, "Cynthia! That's so terrible! Poor Alder! All he wants to do is get a date with a pretty girl and you keep rejecting him!"

"You might think so, but I'm sure Alder has some evil plot to take over the world and getting a date with me is just the first step in his diabolical plan. So you see, if you look at it that way, I'm the one keeping the world from being taken over." Cynthia reasoned, with obvious amusement. She was happy to be spending time with her childhood friend again after so long. The last time they had met, Marie was mocking her exhibition battle with Caitlyn at the Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup where Trip had battled Alder and lost miserably. Cynthia also remembered Trip's challenge and wondered if he'd make it far enough in the tournament to battle against her.

"Or maybe _you're_ his world, and he just wants to take you over…" she paused for dramatic effect, "to dinner!" Marie teased and Cynthia reddened.

"How dare you take my words and totally turn them into Alder's favor! That's so...!" she feigned her anger and placed her hands on her hips dramatically causing people to stare a little.

"Cynthia," Marie giggled, "People seem to always have their eyes on you."

"Something I wish I could sometimes change," Cynthia sighed.

Marie placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Hey, you've been putting up with it for this long. It would be a shame to just give it up."

"Haha, I guess you're right." Cynthia embraced her friend and they continued to walk in silence towards Cynthia's building, the Champion Hotel.

"I'll see you tomorrow Cynthia, cheer me on. I have to go through the pain of battling other trainers first," Marie sighed, "I hope something interesting happens."

Cynthia smiled, "You might battle Red."

"I certainly hope not, I want him to move on to the next rounds so I can battle him in the main stadium. It would be a shame for me to win against him so early on."

"Confident as always," Cynthia murmured.

Marie looked despondent for a second before saying, "That's the way it always has to be I guess. Well, for me to get anything done at least. It's late. I should probably make sure Red didn't burn down the entire room just because he doesn't want me as a roommate."

"Do you like Red?" Cynthia hoped to take her by surprise with the question but she knew Marie wasn't that easy.

"Hmm?" Marie seemed to think, "I'm not sure yet Cynthia. I don't know him. I'll let you know though when I decide. I doubt he would like me anyways."

It was the response she had predicted from her. It just went to show how well the two knew each other. Cynthia grinned at her friend, "Goodnight then Marie."

"'Night Cyn."

"I hate it when you call me that."

"I know."

* * *

**(Skip)**

It was about eight forty in the evening when Marie knocked at the door to her and Red's shared room. "Are you decent?" she asked through the door.

Red started when he heard her voice but quickly regained his composure. "Yeah, you can come in."

Marie used her key to enter and she smiled with what Red had done to the place. Red turned, well, red as her pleased gaze swept the room. The room was spacious to begin with. Two full sized beds were placed parallel to each other on a long side of the room. There was a chair in either corner, probably for each trainer and then a long table on the other long side of the room. On that table there was a phone and two candles that were both lit and emitting a slight fragrance. In the corner, near Marie's bed, there was also a PC. Red had hung a curtain between the two beds and had already thrown his stuff on the bed closest to the door like Marie had suggested. For a moment, Marie wondered where he had gotten the curtain but she abandoned the thought when she saw the ceiling was covered in little glow in the dark stickers that she knew would look like stars when the lights closed. On her bed, there was an eye cover.

"Just in case you don't like the stars," Red explained, "Or if they're too bright for you to sleep with."

"I think it's beautiful. I used to do this as a little girl and stare at the 'stars' for hours before I fell asleep. It always relaxed me." Marie smiled at him and Red visibly blushed.

_It's a strange feeling. I don't understand what my mind is trying to tell me. Do I like Marie? I've never felt this way about anyone before. When she smiles at me, I just feel so happy. I want to make her smile. But… What if she treats me differently once the battling begins? She'll know I'm that Red from Mt. Silver. There's no way she won't. She'll just like me because I'm a good battler. Not because I'm…me._

Red quickly reflected on his thoughts and decided he had some introspecting to do.

"You okay Red?"

"What?" he automatically asked before registering what she actually said, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

He realized his normal cold demeanor had vanished when he was around her. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to be distant with her as he usually was with Sabrina and Clair. They seemed to want to figure him out, to solve the puzzle of Red, while Marie appeared to not care about who he was. _She probably just doesn't know. She'll act like Sabrina and Clair once she realizes._

"Well, do you still need me to explain the different fields?"

Red had forgotten about that. He groaned inwardly at having to ask for help. "Yes please.

"Okay, so there's normally only four fields, but since this is the Pokémon World Tournament there will be five. There's a grass field, water field, fire field, sand field, and rock field. Now all of them are pretty self explanatory except the fire field. It's not actual fire that's heating up the field, it's lots and lots of geyser water from the nearby Driftveil geysers. You see, after the water cools during the night, it's used for the water field. Just so we're environmentally friendly in the end. They call it the fire field because the temperature of the water is just under boiling so it's like your Pokémon are standing on hot coals or in a fire. I'm sure you've already figure out that flying types or Pokémon that can levitate have the best advantage and water type Pokémon aren't exactly the best fit for this playing field. Fire types are probably the most comfortable with this situation although the field can still score a pretty nasty burn. I've also checked out the field, and it is hot. The trainer's box isn't as bad, but you can really feel it. Even a fire type could develop a pretty nasty burn. And even one that's super strong can get a burn if the water somehow escapes from the ground. Which reminds me, don't even think about using Dig in that field. Your Pokémon will just suffer for it. You following so far?"

Red nodded, "Yup."

"Okay, since you're a trainer, you'll have to battle in one of the fields first. In the morning, all of us will line up and get our access card swiped which will show the order in which we compete in the fields. Since there are five fields, the forty trainer cut-off range will be reached in no time. You'll just keep battling against winners of previous matches until there are only forty left. Everything is entered into the system and the losing trainers get a special colored shard as a consolation prize. Once we've gotten to forty trainers, the remaining trainers will be battling computer picked gym leaders or even each other until there are only forty left in total again. Then the champions get thrown into the mix and everything begins the same cycle. Once we get to the top twenty or thirty or so, we'll all be on the main battlefield which has randomly selected battlefields. I don't know all of them but I know all five I mentioned are going to be there. I think there's a total of two more? But I'm not sure. We'll have to find out. If you still don't understand, Nurse Joy can explain it more to you in the morning when you're swiping your card. Also, your card will come with instructions. I just thought it might be easier if I explained first. Make sure you still read the instructions on your access card though in case I missed anything. Also, a few types of legendary Pokémon aren't allowed in the competition. I know for certain Arceus isn't. But if you've managed to catch that legendary Pokémon though, then you won't even need it to battle. If you don't have any legendary Pokémon you want to compete in the competition with then don't worry about it. Otherwise you should check the access card after you swipe it just to make sure that you're not breaking any rules. Oh, you also can't use the same Pokémon and your Pokémon can't be holding the same item." Marie ran a hand through her hair, a little embarrassed. "Oh dear, I've been rambling haven't I? It's a habit of Cynthia's and I've just recently began doing it. Sorry about that."

"It's okay," Red told her, "I needed to know all of that. There wasn't any excess information. It was a great explanation."

Marie smiled, "Thanks Red, now let's go to bed. I already washed up and I'm planning on showering in the morning. Whoever gets up first gets the bathroom." She flashed a sly grin that sent Red's heart pounding.

"I bet I'll be first," he smirked.

"Don't count on it. Now you're closest to the light switch, I'm assuming you've already washed up since I've been gone."

Red turned the lights out and sighed contentedly as he settled under the covers. He turned his head towards Marie and suddenly wished he hadn't put the curtain up.

* * *

**(Skip) – The Next Morning**

Red was just waking up as he noticed the shower was currently running. He blushed when he realized that Marie must be in there. He silently cursed himself for being so affected by one girl that he didn't even know that well when the shower was turned off and Marie came out with only a towel wrapped around her body. She was obviously comfortable around people of the opposite gender. Red thought to himself, it probably came with being so attractive. He suddenly realized what his mind-voice was insinuating and he mentally beat himself up over it.

Marie noticed Red staring at her and she blushed, knowing she only had a towel to cover herself. Luckily Red hadn't seen the blush. "It's all yours!" she said in a sing-song voice.

"Thanks." Red rushed into the bathroom and shut the door with an accidental bang. Marie heard the shower begin to run. _Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think about it._ She repeated as a mantra as she began to get dressed and find her access card from her bag. Finding it, she used the PC to swipe her access card and look up Cynthia's phone extension.

After she called Cynthia and invited her to breakfast, she yelled, "Hey Red, you've got the room to yourself for awhile. I'm going to get my Pokémon and then eat with Cynthia. You're welcome to join us. We'll be in the Champions Hotel. But if you want, I know Lance is staying at the hotel for gym leaders in the Kanto section. I'm sure he'd love if you'd drop in for a bite!"

He wondered, did she say 'get her Pokémon?' Why didn't she carry them with her? It was strange. He thought all trainers would carry their Pokémon with them when they were at an important tournament. Maybe the custom changed or maybe Marie was just different. He certainly could affirm that she was different from everyone else just by the way she treated him. He turned off the shower and got out. After quickly dressing, he called Lance, much to the Champion's surprise and arranged for breakfast with him.

"Wait, Red?" Lance's voice crackled through the phone.

"Yeah?"

"Can Sabrina and Clair come?" Lance asked.

"Of course," replied Red before hanging up without hearing what Lance had to say.

* * *

**(Skip) – Cynthia and Marie – Champion's Hotel**

"How are things with Red so far?" Cynthia asked.

"They're fine. I mean, it's not like we've actually talked about anything besides the tournament rules." Marie told her while unfolding her napkin and then refolding it into a Pikachu.

Not to be outdone, Cynthia quickly folded hers into a Swanna. "He's quite mysterious. He's known as a trainer prodigy."

"Nonsense Cynthia," Marie denied, "He's just dedicated. I don't think there's actually anything _too_ special about him." She shrugged and then added, "But I guess I won't know until we battle."

Deciding to change topics, Cynthia wondered, "Do you think you'll have to battle Ash? Or maybe even Trip?"

"I certainly hope not. I want them to move on to the next round you know." Marie replied. "Of course if I do battle them, they're certainly going down."

Cynthia just smiled.

"Stop that," Marie pouted, "You're lucky you don't have to battle against all these hopefuls. I could've been a gym leader too or even a champion if I wanted to."

She laughed, "I don't doubt it Mar-ee."

Marie smiled at Cynthia's use of her childhood nickname. "Well, at least I'm not the one who was upset because no wild Pokémon would come to you after you sprayed max repel on yourself thinking it was perfume!"

It was Cynthia's turn to pout, "I was seven! You're not allowed to hold that against me!"

Both women laughed together before falling into a comfortable silence as they finished eating.

* * *

**A/N: WTF. How did this chapter like not exist? I don't understand my life. This was a pretty important chapter too.**


	5. The Qualifying Rounds

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon! OMG NO WAY? you say... YES WAY!**

* * *

**(Skip)**

"Good luck Red."

"Good luck Marie."

Both trainers had swiped their access cards and it showed their first opponent. They each headed towards different fields. Marie was off to the grass field first while Red went to the sand field. Secretly, Red hoped Marie was strong enough to get to the final rounds so he could battle her. But not until they were at least in the top 20, otherwise he would be sad if he had to beat her.

* * *

**(Skip)**– **The Grass Field**

"THIS WILL BE A ONE ON ONE BATTLE WHICH WILL DETERMINE WHO QUALIFIES TO GO TO THE NEXT ROUND. THE BATTLE WILL END WHEN ONE SIDE'S POKÉMON IS UNABLE TO BATTLE. THERE WILL BE NO SUBSTITUTES. ARE BOTH SIDES READY?"

"Yup!" Both trainers nodded simultaneously.

"OKAY, THEN BATTLEEEE BEGINNNNN!"

"Go Castform!" Marie shouted and her pokéball released a white ghost looking Pokémon.

"This should be easy then," her opponent smirked, "Go Infernape!"

"Hey, just because you've got the type advantage now, doesn't mean you'll have it later." Marie smiled slightly before calling out her move. "Rain dance."

Her opponent started, "But Castform's a normal type. What's rain dance going to do? Even if your Castform knows water type moves, their power won't be boosted by that much." Rain began to fall.

"You'll see," Marie told him with a wink. "Castform, your Rainy form please!" Suddenly Castform transformed into what looked like a large raindrop with eyes sitting on a couple of rocks. Marie's opponent suddenly realized his combination fire and fighting type was now at a distinct disadvantage.

"That's okay Infernape, I know you can still do it! Use mach punch!"

"Castform, dodge and use hydro pump!"

"Infernape dodge it now!" His trainer screamed.

But Castform had been trained very well by Marie and its current stats far exceeded its base ones. Due to rain dance, Castform's speed had been upped incredibly and with one hit of that powerful hydro pump, Infernape was unable to battle.

"AND TRAINER MARIE FROM SINNOH TAKES THE WIN ON THE GRASS FIELD WITH HER AMAZING CASTFORM!"

Cynthia smirked.

"What?" Lance asked aloud. He was shocked by how quickly Marie pulled off the win. He knew she was strong, and even though Castform had had the type advantage, its speed and hydro pump's power were simply incredible.

"We're in for a challenge. Did I tell you she's beaten me before? After she beat the elite four in Sinnoh, she crushed me in a battle."

"But then why isn't she Champion?"

"When she beat the elite four it was more of a friendly challenge, not an actual battle," explained Cynthia, "And besides, it's not like she actually beat me, it was only a three on three battle. So she insisted it wasn't official. But I'm sure if she wanted to, she could cream me in a six on six."

Lance looked at Cynthia strangely for a moment before saying, "Wow, she must really be strong then if even _you_ are speaking of her in such high regard. I've known her for awhile. She challenged the gyms but then decided to quit half way through the Indigo League. Although she wasn't nearly as strong as she is now of course. I still wonder why. Her battles were all full of clean hits and her Pokémon took minimal damage. She just withdrew before getting into the top four. We had to ask one of the trainers she had beaten to come back and take her place. I then saw her a few months ago travelling through Johto again when she and Clair became friends—"

"She's friends with Clair?" Cynthia looked startled, "She never told me that."

"Well, Clair says she's friends with Marie at least. I don't know much about their friendship, I just know Clair looks up to her a lot. Which is why I thought it was strange she withdrew from the Indigo League before she could actually engage in an entertaining battle. We even invited her over to dinner which is where Marie and I became friends. I've always asked her to come to dinner again with me, but she's always refused." Lance sighed wistfully, "It was a fun dinner too. Her sense of humor is really astonishing."

"She likes to describe it—" Cynthia started to say before Lance finished for her, "As refreshing. I know. She lectured me about it too." Cynthia and Lance both began to laugh at their mutual friend's quirks.

"How about we go see how Red is doing, after we meet up with Marie," suggested Lance. Cynthia accepted the invitation and they headed off to the sand field.

* * *

**(Skip)**

"ON ONE SIDE WE HAVE RED FROM KANTO AND ON THE OTHER WE HAVE LAYLA FROM HOENN! TRAINERS WILL USE ONE POKÉMON EACH AND THE BATTLE WILL END WHEN ONE SIDE'S POKÉMON IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! ARE BOTH TRAINERS READY?"

Both trainers nodded the affirmative.

"THEN BATTLE BEGINNNN!"

"Pikachu, you're up!" Red threw his pokéball into the air and Pikachu popped out. The yellow mouse Pokémon's cheeks crackled with electricity as it looked around for its opponent eagerly.

"Golem, please join me!" A round boulder shaped Pokémon emerged from Layla's pokéball and quickly assumed it's fighting stance. "Your Pikachu doesn't stand a chance against my ground type Golem!"

Red smirked, "Pikachu, agility and then quick attack." Pikachu obeyed instantly, picking up speed and then storing energy for its quick attack. Normally, the sand would have dragged Pikachu down, but the yellow mouse was going too fast for gravity to have an effect.

Layla stared at Pikachu's speed as she shouted at a command, "Rock polish and then try to dodge!" Golem obeyed as Pikachu rushed towards the Megaton Pokémon.

"Aim downwards Pikachu!"

"Pika-pika-pika-pika-pika!" Pikachu built up power and then launched its quick attack which was doubly fast from the earlier agility. Add to that Pikachu's original immense speed and Layla's Golem had no way to dodge the streak of lightning that came towards it. Quick attack hit with an ample amount of power and Golem was knocked onto its back. Pikachu jumped up while Layla looked on with desperation.

"Golem, use roll out now!"

"Pikachu, Iron Tail." Red said calmly. His face was impassive and unpitying towards his opponent's misery.

"FOLKS, I DO NOT BELIEVE! IT'S LIKE RED PREDICTED THAT LAYLA WOULD HAVE GOLEM USE ROLL OUT WHEN IT FELL OVER AND HE KNEW THE SAND WOULDN'T OFFER ENOUGH TRACTION WHICH LEFT PIKACHU ENOUGH TIME TO DELIVER THAT SUPER EFFECTIVE IRON TAIL FOR A KO! THIS IS ONE AMAZING TRAINER RIGHT HERE!"

"Golem, return," Layla said as a red light from her pokéball recalled her Golem, "You battled bravely. I'm sorry I wasn't prepared enough."

* * *

**(Skip) – Red, Marie, Cynthia, and Lance outside of the sand stadium.**

"What are you doing out here? You're supposed to be battling," asked Marie. Her face was surprised although she knew it shouldn't be.

"I've finished my battle. I thought _you_ were supposed to be battling as well."

Marie blushed, "Finished already."

Red smiled while Lance gaped and Cynthia smirked. "I don't believe this. Marie is blushing. Why can't I make her blush?" Lance tore at his hair in mock fury while Cynthia pretended to comfort him. "There there Lancey-poo, you'll always have that dinner you two shared." Lance grimaced as he stole a look at Marie.

"You told her about that?" she asked. Lance wasn't sure if she was upset or amused.

He grunted, "Yeah."

Marie burst out laughing as she told Cynthia, "I am so sorry that he had to tell you that. Dinner lasted about thirty minutes with him drooling at me while I chatted with Clair about dragon-types. Lance couldn't even close his mouth. He didn't eat anything and Clair had to slap him to get him out of his day dreams. It wasn't exactly my idea of a 'dinner date.'"

Cynthia laughed along with her friend. Red looked down at his shoes so he could hide his jealousy. _But why am I jealous? I don't even know her. I share a room with her for one night and already I can't control my emotions. What's happening to me now?_

"So, you won with Pikachu." A voice came from behind the group as all four turned and recognized Elesa. Marie rushed forward and gave her Electric-type gym leader friend a quick hug. Elesa returned the hug and then began to stare down Red. "I haven't quite forgiven you for what happened during our gym battle. That's really wasn't fair."

"If it makes you feel any better, I won't use that Pokémon during our rematch."

"I figured," said Elesa, "Which is why I'm looking forward to a _fair_ battle between us."

Red nodded. His face, once again, was impassive. Marie, Lance, and Cynthia exchanged glances as Elesa left the group. Red smirked and began to walk towards another PC to find out who his next opponent was and where he would be battling him or her.

"We're headed off to the other champions to discuss some mentoring program. Do you wanna come, or are you going to prepare for your next battle?" Cynthia asked Marie quietly.

Marie sighed, "I guess I better go prepare, but that mentoring program does seem interesting. I'll go find out how Ash and Trip did first and then go find my next opponent. I hope it's someone I don't know."

Lance and Cynthia waved goodbye to her as she headed in the direction Red went. Lance and Cynthia shared a meaningful glance and they began to discuss prospective trainers they would think of mentoring and how they would end up deciding.

* * *

**(Skip)**

Red, Marie, Ash, and Trip are all part of the forty trainers left. Now, the computer has them matched up against various gym leaders. Red is up against Fantina, Hearthome City's ghost Pokémon gym leader in the Sinnoh region. Marie is battling against Clay of Driftveil City who specializes in Ground type Pokémon. Ash is up against Whitney while Falkner is taking on Trip.

"These battles will all be three on three and will be over when one trainer's Pokémon are all unable to battle. Substitutions are allowed. If you use a move like self-destruct or explosion, you will automatically lose if that is your last Pokémon." Freddy "The Scoop" O'Martian explained the rules to the remaining trainers and battling gym leaders. "The computer has randomly selected your opponents and the first battle today in the main field will be Red from Kanto versus Fantina, gym leader of Hearthome City.

* * *

**A/N Those battles weren't as hard as I thought they would be to write. I rather enjoyed that. I hope my descriptions were clear. Please tell me what you thought. **


	6. Red vs Fantina

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or anything associated with it. Ermm... I would however hope that you don't copy my work and say it's your own.**

* * *

**(Skip)**

Red's body tingled from the excitement of the upcoming battle. A ghost specialist gym leader would sure present some challenges and since Fantina was a gym leader, he expected she would have some tricks up her sleeve. He hardly listened as the announcer went through the rules again. He was already formulating strategies and possible counter-moves and combinations to beat Fantina. He did however, pay attention again when the field began to change.

"The computer is now selecting a random field out of our seven available ones. For this battle, we'll be on the… ICE FIELD!" The field was placed between the two trainer's boxes and Red surveyed their battlefield. It was a sheet of solid ice, about two feet or so thick, that was peppered with large chunks of ice in strategically placed locations. This wouldn't be an easy battle field for his Pokémon. Pikachu might not have too big of a problem navigating through the ice and Charizard could always fly above the field, but Saur's maneuverability would definitely be down. These three were the Pokémon he had chosen for today. He suddenly wished he had Blastoise who could slide along the ice in its shell. But he had only brought three Pokémon. He felt a bit nervous. He had never liked ghost Pokémon.

"Bonjour monsieur! It is such a pleasure to be battling against a trainer who has come so far in ze competition. Now, you must be a tres magnifique trainer, but I have complete confidence in my wily ghost Pokémon! Spiritomb, battle position please!" Fantina started off with pre-battle conversation.

Red released his Pikachu without a word.

"Let's get things started oui? Spiritomb nasty plot and then psychic!"

"Pikachu, fake out."

"SPIRITOMB FLINCHED! RED STOPPED FANTINA'S PSYCHIC WITH A POWERFUL FAKE OUT! EVEN THOUGH MINIMAL DAMAGE WAS DONE TO SPIRITOMB, THAT FAKE OUT WAS WELL PLACED AND PIKACHU AVOIDS TAKING DAMAGE!" The announcer was getting excited by the battle and the entire stadium was leaning forward in anticipation. What would the mystery trainer from Kanto do next? He had gotten through the trainer rounds without any difficulty, only using his Pikachu, everyone wanted to know just who he was.

"Brick break."

Fantina was surprised, "What? You should know zat your fighting type move has no effect on my Spiritomb." Then, she noticed Red's small smile and was instantly put on guard, "Nasty Plot Spiritomb and then use Psychic to stop Pikachu."

Pikachu's brick break was about to hit Spiritomb but its fighting type move passed right through. Instead, Pikachu's powerful brick break hit the ice on the field and broke it.

"Jump on the ice." At Red's command, Pikachu began jumping from one ice shard to another while Spiritomb was being pummeled by flying shards making it unable to get a clear shot for psychic to hit.

"Iron tail, and let's finish this."

"Spiritomb, stop those ice chunks with your psychic then aim them at Pikachu," ordered Fantina. But Pikachu was too fast and Iron tail hit Spiritomb and caused it to crash down to the ground. Swirly eyes signaled that the battle was over and Red had won.

The crowd went wild. The yellow mouse Pokémon had beaten a powerful Spiritomb, owned by a gym leader no less, and had taken absolutely no damage.

"Nooooooo!" Fantina shouted gracefully. Her Pokémon was defeated, but the battle sure was fun.

"FOLKS WE HAVE JUST SEEN SOMETHING SPECTACULAR!" Freddy was shouting, "THAT PIKACHU IS SOMETHING ELSE, ALONG WITH ITS TRAINER! THE SPEED! THE FINESSE! THE STRATEGY! FANTINA'S GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME OVERCOMING THAT!"

Fantina was astonished, she had lost her Spiritomb so quickly, and to a Pikachu as well. Red reminded her of Ash. Ash looked just like Red. It was strange. However, Red possessed neither Ash's friendliness nor warmth. Red was a unique combination and if he wanted to, Fantina was sure he would be an amazing contest master. "Well, I am surprised you managed to beat my Spiritomb. Almost none of the challengers at my gym can. But the select few that could, they're in for a nasty surprise with my next Pokémon! Darling Drifblim, battle position please!"

"Pikachu, are you good to battle?"

"Pika-pikachu!" the yellow mouse voiced in an upbeat and determined voice.

"Good."

"Drifblim, sucker punch." The purple balloon Pokémon rushed to follow its master's orders. The sucker punch was neatly dodged by Pikachu who didn't need a command from Red.

"Volt tackle," Red called calmly. Pikachu built up speed and then gathered electricity before rushing towards Drifblim. The ice was hardly affecting Pikachu. Just like in the sand battle, Pikachu's speed seemed to be thwarting gravity.

"Steady Drifblim. We're going to use a counter-shield, but not until the correct moment!" Fantina told her Pokémon who nodded slightly in understanding.

_Now what could they be planning?_ Red wondered as Pikachu's volt tackle headed straight for a Drifblim that showed no intention of moving.

"WILL-O-WISP! NOW!" shouted Fantina. A bluish ring of flame was generated and was immediately controlled by Psychic to circle around the balloon Pokémon protectively. Red's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen.

Having no time to dodge it, Pikachu crashed right into Drifblim's counter-shield. Ash, who was observing the battle smiled when he recognized his strategy being used.

"Woah, Ash, isn't that the counter-shield you've told me about?" Iris asked him.

Ash replied, "Yeah, it's not surprising that Fantina adopted it and put it into her own strategy."

"Pika-pi!" The mouse Pokémon chirped, telling Red it had taken some damage.

Unfortunately for Fantina, Pikachu's volt tackle had knocked the Will-o-Wisp out and Drifblim was left undefended again. Fantina gasped, Pikachu was very well trained and its defense was far higher than its base stats were. Seeing his chance, Red told Pikachu to use Iron tail.

"Using the same trick isn't going to let you win. Drifblim dear, grab that Pikachu and then sucker punch!"

Red smirked, "I figured you'd learn." The first words he had said to Fantina the entire battle. "Fake out."

Drifblim flinched from the air blast that suddenly hit it. Pikachu was propelled upwards with its iron tail still in effect. Fantina saw her mistake too late and before she could call out her next move, Pikachu's iron tail was slamming into Drifblim at full force. The momentum Pikachu had gained from Fake out pushing it back up was enough for a knock-out.

"Nooooooooo!" Fantina shouted gracefully. The crowd smiled at her predictable reaction.

The crowd began to go crazy. They were chanting Red's name while some of them from Kanto were beginning to recall the rumors of the young trainer at Mt. Silver that also went by the name of Red and had a Pikachu. Some synapses fired and someone suddenly called out, "THAT'S RED FROM MT. SILVER! IT'S HIM!" The crowd was quiet for a moment before chatter started up again. This time, there were people exchanging rumors and gossiping while the Kanto gym leaders looked nervously towards Sabrina, Clair, and Ash. Marie, who was also watching sighed and settled deeper into her seat. People were so predictable. Now she wasn't sure how Red would treat her. He knew now that she knew he was Red from Mt. Silver. His reputation was enough to make a female trainer swoon. His good looks were just a bonus. Marie decided that she wouldn't have any romantic attachment to Red during the competition. Maybe afterwards, if he liked her, she might try to ask him to dinner or something. But with everyone excited that the King of Mount Silver had come to participate in the World Tournament, people would definitely make a fuss.

Red sighed and scuffed his shoes in the dirt.

Ash and his friends were talking amongst themselves. "Who's Red? He's from Kanto, how come I've never heard of him?"

Misty and Brock exchanged looks before Misty said, "He's one of the most powerful trainers in Kanto and probably the entire Pokémon world. He beat Lance, the champion but decided that he couldn't deal with the position of Champion and so he declined it."

"Wow, I want to battle him now!" Ash said with newfound determination to make it far enough in the battles to go up against Red. Misty and Brock exchanged looks again before nodding and wishing Ash the best of luck. Iris and Cilan saw these surreptitious glances and became a little suspicious. Those two were hiding something from Ash, and they were afraid it would be unfortunate for Ash to find out without the help of his friends.

"So you're Red from Mount Silver?" asked Fantina after hearing the chatter from the crowd.

"What can I say," Red sighed in a defeatist manner. "I'm the one and only."

Fantina seemed to be thinking before she decided to say something, "Well, if you—" she stopped, glanced at Red, changed her mind, and then drew out her third Pokéball. "Shall we continue?"

Red replied by surveying Pikachu's condition. When the yellow mouse Pokémon gave him an all-clear nod, Red motioned that he was.

"Dusknoir, it's your time to shine! Battle position!" Fantina's last Pokémon popped out of its poké ball and she smiled. "This will give you a challenge for sure! Dusknoir, Curse!" The room turned dark as Dusknoir's Curse took effect. The Pokémon's HP was sapped and left with only half of the remaining while Pikachu lost a fourth of its HP.

Deciding playing the ghost game wasn't going to work with Pikachu tired from attacking and with a well-placed curse on it. Red withdrew Pikachu and sent out Charizard.

Fantina mentally swore. She hadn't predicted that Red would send out a different Pokémon. Now her Dusknoir had taken a lot of damage and Charizard was fresh and uncursed. She couldn't use Curse again because it would cause Dusknoir to faint. She had to find a way to finish this, and she had to finish it fast. It was about saving face now. Red knew it too. He debated about whether or not he should let Charizard lose so Fantina could have at least something to be proud about but he shook the thought off. No matter what happened between two people, Pokémon didn't have to be sacrificed because of it. Charizard could win, and Red would make sure that Charizard did win. Red despised the concept of throw-away Pokémon.

"Dusknoir, Pain split!" Charizard's health was sapped while some of Dusknoir's was restored.

"GOOD MOVE ON FANTINA'S PART! PAIN SPLIT IS A MOVE THAT SETS BOTH POKÉMON'S HP TO THE SAME AMOUNT! AFTER HER CURSE WAS INEFFECTIVE, IT WAS A WISE DECISION." Freddy told the crowd. His voice was steeped with enthusiasm. It was the first battle, and already it was such an intriguing one. Red was bringing out the best in Fantina while Fantina was giving Red an exciting battle.

_Dusknoir looks as good as new. Charizard's HP must've been quite impressive._"I haven't had this much fun in quite awhile Red. You're quite the trainer!" Fantina told him with a smile on her face, "I'm just going to battle the best way I know how, and it won't matter if I lose. My Pokémon were tres magnifique. I'm already so very proud."

Red just smiled. "Charizard, dragon pulse."

"Shadow Sneak." Fantina's Dusknoir disappeared into the shadows. It was nowhere to be seen.

"Fly up! Charizard!" Red commanded urgently. Shadow sneak was known by a select few Pokémon and it was impressive whenever it was learned.

Fantina smiled, "Unfortunately, that won't do much." Dusknoir appeared behind Charizard after jumping up and attacked. Charizard crashed into the icy field and landed in a heap. The ice was crushed underneath of Charizard and Fantina suddenly had an idea.

"Dusknoir. Will-o-Wisp on the ice."

_What is she trying to do?_ Red wondered before telling Charizard to get up and fly into the air again.

Once again, Fantina smiled, _Too predictable Red. Way too predictable._

"What do you think she's trying to accomplish?" asked Ash.

"What a little kid," said Iris, "You don't even know?"

"Well do you?" he retorted which made Iris sweat drop.

She waggled a finger at him. "Of course I do. She's trying to use the will-o-wisp to burn up the ice. Then, she's going to use it to her advantage. Now that the ice is gone, when Dusknoir stands in the hole made by the ice, it'll be able to use Shadow Sneak and go underneath the ice, therefore not taking any damage by travelling through the ice!" Ash started, "Wow Iris, that was pretty smart."

"Of course, I'm not a little kid like you."

"You just guess didn't you Iris," asked Cilan with a smile.

Iris sweat dropped again. "Yeah, I admit it, I had no idea."

"Whatever the reason, Fantina and Red are pretty amazing battlers. I'm going to have to fine them if they get any more amazing!" Barry got out of his seat to shout which made everyone sweat drop from the stares he was receiving.

Iris was right however. Fantina used Shadow Sneak underneath the ice and waited for any opening. Red however, still had some tricks up his sleeve.

"Fire pulse!"

The crowd was sent into a questioning frenzy, "What in the world is a fire pulse? Is that some kind of new move?"

"I HEAR YOU GUYS," Freddy was saying, "I'VE GOT NO IDEA WHAT A FIRE PULSE IS EITHER, BUT SINCE HE'S THE KING OF MT. SILVER, I'M SURE IT'S SOME POWERFUL MOVE!"

Fire blast and dragon pulse combined broke the ice and hit the ground where Dusknoir's shadow was before it could even move. Dusknoir materialized again and was completely solid.

"Seismic Toss," commanded Red.

"You know fighting moves don't have any effect on ghost types," said Fantina. She was puzzled at what Red was trying to do. Unlike Pikachu, Charizard needed to take hold of Dusknoir before attacking so it obviously wasn't a battlefield altering move. What was he trying to do? "Dusknoir, get out of there!" Dusknoir struggled against Charizard's overwhelmingly strong grip but couldn't get free. "Try a Shadow Sneak!" Fantina was growing desperate. Something had changed in her Dusknoir when fire pulse hit and she knew it would end in catastrophe.

Dusknoir was thrown to the ground by Charizard's seismic toss and instantly fainted.

"Nooooooo!" screamed Fantina gracefully. The crowd was too much in shock to even react to her. A ghost type Dusknoir was just taken out by a fighting type move. That was defying what they had always been taught about battling. "How did you do it?" she asked him, "What happened?"

"Fire blast melts the ice, which also inflicted a burn on your Dusknoir, then dragon pulse shattered its shadow for this battle which makes it unable to activate it's ghost abilities which include evading fighting type moves," explained Red. The crowd looked on in shock while Freddy and Mr. Goodshow were shouting trying to tell the crowd how Red did it. Red smiled, "Don't feel bad, it took about two years for me to figure out the perfect balance and then another year to make it work."

"WELL FOLKS, AFTER A SENSATIONAL BATTLE HERE BETWEEN RED AND FANTINA, RED HAS EMERGED THE VICTOR AFTER DEFEATING ALL THREE OF FANTINA'S POKÉMON AND LOSING NONE! THIS FIRST BATTLE HAS GONE BY EXTREMELY QUICKLY AND AN AMAZING VICTORY FOR RED!

* * *

**A/N: You guys having fun? I've uploaded quite a few chapters today. That's only because I've written them ahead of time. Expect only a chapter a week. And now we continue. Who wants to see Marie's battle? **


	7. Marie vs Clay

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any aspect of it.**

* * *

**Marie's Battle**  
Marie was up against the Unova region ground specialist gym leader. Clay would be a tough opponent, but not tough enough. She would still win and advance to the next round. She had a good feeling about this. Marie planned on bringing her Staraptor, Excadrill, Sandslash, Poliwrath, and Golem. She was only allowed to use three Pokémon but she felt that based on her opponents style and strategy, she should be able to adjust. Maybe she would even bring her secret weapon if things got dire. She decided not to. Let it rest for another day. Marie decided she would shake up the stadium soon enough.

Clay smiled at the young woman before him. "You young whippersnapper really think you can defeat me? All you young-'uns these days are nothing but strategy keepers. You don't do anything the hard way. Straight up and personal!" His voice thundered around the stadium and trainers were drinking in his every word.

"Wouldn't having an effective strategy also count has hard work as well? It's not every day you can meet an opponent who knows your every move and can counter everything you do. I once met a boy by the name of Conway. I'm sure he's more of a young man now, but he was truly something. Spent every day coming up with countless strategies to face any Pokémon. Even I got caught off guard." Hidden in the stands, Conway blushed and ducked his head down while Dawn elbowed him gently in the side. Marie flashed a brilliant smile which made the male trainers swoon.

Grumbling, "That is the problem with you young people, think you know everything. Whatever, me and my Pokémon are gonna show you what hard work can really do!"

"I count on it."

"YOU WILL BE PLAYING ON THE NORMAL BATTLEFIELD TODAY. ARE BOTH TRAINERS READY?" the referee called out.

Clay and Marie nodded.

"THEN BATTLEEEE BEGIN!"

"Sandslash, you're up!" Marie revealed her Pokémon first.

Clay started, "Well well well, I may have gotten you a little bit wrong. From what I see in that Sandslash of yours, you're quite gutsy. But I hope you know that I'm the ground-type specialist gym leader in Unova. This won't be easy... for you. Alright Seismitoad, let's show them what hard work can do!"

Marie didn't make a move.

"Alright, if you're not going first, then I will. Seismitoad, hydro pump!"

"Escape using dig." Marie told her Sandslash calmly.

Clay smiled, "Send hydro pump into that hole!"

Marie didn't give an emotional reaction which made Clay wonder why. He got his answer when Sandslash came up out of the ground behind Seismitoad and rammed it's body straight into the Vibration Toad Pokémon. When the dust cleared, it showed Sandslash still standing but breathing heavily while Seismitoad was unconscious.

"FOLKS! DID ANYONE JUST REALIZE WHAT HAPPENED?" Freddy asked wondrously. Mr. Goodshow answered for him with a smile, "It seems like Sandslash took the damage of the hydro pump dead on in the hole but had used Payback to send it right back to Seismitoad, but with double the damage! Am I right Miss Marie?"

Marie winked at the Pokémon World Tournament host, confirming his hypothesis was correct. Clay just stared at the woman with a blank expression on his face. Suddenly, he burst out laughing, "Well, I never! I haven't been tricked into doing something stupid like that since I first became a gym leader! You're really something else you know." The gruff old(ish) gym leader shook his head. He would definitely have to up his game if he wanted to beat this up and coming trainer.

"I'm not that new at this you know. I've been around for quite some time."

This surprised Clay, "You're such a great trainer, how come I've never heard of you?"

"Obviously you've been living under a rock then," teased Marie. She, and everyone in the stadium, well knew that Clay spent most of his time digging underneath Driftveil city.

He let out a booming laugh that compelled the spectators to join in. "Well Marie, you've certainly scored a point on me there. Enough joking around, let's see if you can hand my next Pokémon. Golurk, you're in charge!"

Her sharp eyes studied the combination ghost and ground type Pokémon. This would be a challenge since none of the Pokémon she had with her were ghost or dark types. She could go with Staraptor, but with Staraptor being half fighting type she didn't like her chances. Not sure if she should pick Poliwrath to give her the raise as Golurk was still a ground type and weak to water attacks, she made her decision. "Golem! All eyes on you!" The Megaton Pokémon let out a screech as it readied itself for battle.

"Still going with ground types against a specialist, you seem like you've got something to prove," remarked Clay.

"Golem, heavy slam. Let's go." Marie commanded quickly. Golem rocketed forwards and crashed into Clay's Golurk with a bam. Both sides knew heavy slam wouldn't do much damage because Golem weight about a hundred pounds less than Golurk. Golurk shook it off while Golem had started a roll-out attack. While Golurk was reoriented itself, Golem's immense speed allowed it to hurtle its body straight into Golurk's. The Automaton Pokémon was pushed backwards and crashed into the wall.

_It's fast._ Clay thought. _I'm going to have to be careful. Marie must know that Heavy Slam wouldn't do too much damage, but what was she planning?_

"You'll find out," smirked Marie. "Heavy Slam will do it's damage soon enough."

"Can you read my thoughts young lady?" Clay asked.

Smiling, "I'm just saying out loud what all the spectators are probably thinking right now. As well as what Freddy's shouting at us." Freddy shut up for a moment at that comment before he heard irate fans asking him to explain what had happened.

"I'M HONESTLY NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED THERE FOLKS. I'M SURE MARIE MUST HAVE SOMETHING UP HER SLEEVE WHICH MAKES HER LAUNCH SUCH AN INEFFECTIVE ATTACK."

"Thanks Freddy, ineffective." Marie muttered under her breath. She hated it when her strategies got undermined simply because no one understood them.

"Golurk, don't just stand there and let yourself be hit! Use shadow punch." Clay commanded his Pokémon with fervor, relishing a battle against a strong opponent who fought almost head-on. _Let's see you worm your way out of this_.

"Dig." Golem quickly dived underground and the shadow punch lost its target. Clay growled in frustration.

"You've gotta drive that darndest Pokémon out of the ground. Use Earthquake!" The ground began to shake and Marie knew Golem couldn't withstand an attack of that magnitude (haha, I made a joke) for much longer.

"Protect, and then use Roar." A harsh screeching sound drove Golem back into its Pokéball and Clay was forced to reveal his third Pokémon. Excadrill. Meanwhile, the Earthquake stopped, inflicting only minimal damage because of Golem's Protect.

"Let's finish that battle. Golem, if you would do the honors?" Golem understood and used Roar again, forcing Clay to use Golurk again. The crowd was confused, and so was Clay, why would Marie use Roar to scare away his Golurk and then his Excadrill? Unless...

It hit him, "You just wanted to know my third Pokémon, didn't you?"

She nodded quickly before ordering Golem to use Roll Out again. The Megaton Pokémon rushed towards Golurk's prone form with great speed.

"Oh no you don't. Not again. Substitute, and then Shadow Punch." Just in the nick of time. Golurk created a Substitute which took the damage and then disappeared. Golurk's Shadow Punch connected with its target and Golem was thrown out of its spin. "Now finish this with Focus Punch."

Marie allowed herself a small smile. A fighting type move had to come along sometime, and she was right. Clay saw the smile but didn't let himself be bothered by it. There's no way that Golem of hers can take on a Focus Punch from my Golurk. It's just not possible. He tried to convince himself.

"You ready Golem?" Marie asked her alert Pokémon. Golurk had floated into the air, thanks to its ghost abilities, and was now spiraling downwards towards Golem, glowing Focus Punch fist first. "DIG!" she shouted.

Clay realized his mistake too late. Before he could order Golurk to pull up out of the obvious trap, Golurk was sucked into the hole Golem had created. "Golurk! Get out of there now!" After a few seconds, Golurk stood up shakily and was brushing off the dirt and about to get out of the hole when...

BAM!

Golem's Roll Out crashed right into Golurk which sent it flying across the field and into the wall with swirly eyes. It was unconscious.

"GOLURK IS UNABLE TO BATTLE WHICH MEANS GOLEM IS THE WINNER. PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR NEXT POKÉMON!"

Clay sighed. He had been tricked again. It wasn't like using Attract where he couldn't do anything about it, but this was strategy playing and this strategy was completely head-on and something he could approve of. He was just hoping his last Pokémon could score him a win. "Excadrill, show them how it's done!"

"I've just been tingling in the anticipation to battle your famous Excadrill. I sure hope it's strong enough to best my EXCADRILL!"

Two almost identically looking Pokémon appeared on the battlefield. This would certainly be a battle of strategy and possibly even strength. Depending on which Pokémon could find the upper hand first, strategy could decide the entire battle. Clay was unfortunately without a strategy. He was sure that Marie must have one though. She acted like she already knew about his Excadrill from previous battle experience with him. She's not going to try to win by brute strength. He needed to think of something, and fast. Marie still had her other two Pokémon waiting to battle Excadrill in case he succeeded.

"Excadrill, drill run!" Clay commanded.

"You too." Marie added her own attack.

In the crowd, Cilan clasped his hands together, "Oh, what a magnificent blend of spices and aromas. They're almost identical in flavor separately, but when added together, they create a truly amazing blend of decadence."

Neither Pokémon had the upper hand in strength. Clay was surprised. Excadrill had trained hard for this tournament and had gained a lot of experience from special sessions which increased its strength. Clay knew his Excadrill was strong, but Marie's was just as strong, if not stronger. Marie's attack was pushing through. Before her Excadrill could completely overpower his though, the tension broke and the built up power exploded and hit both of them equally.

"Toxic." Marie told her Pokémon. "Then follow up with a Focus Blast."

Clay was too shocked over the unexpected move to yell a command. Luckily, his Excadrill was well trained and dodged it on its own. Predicting that, Marie's Excadrill had aimed Focus Blast a little later and hit Clay's Excadrill straight on.

"CLAY'S EXCADRILL IS UNABLE TO BATTLE WHICH MEANS MARIE'S EXCADRILL IS THE WINNER! ALL OF CLAY'S POKÉMON ARE UNABLE TO BATTLE WHICH MEANS MARIE IS THE WINNER!"

Cheers emanated from the crowd. Red watched in silence next to Lance. Marie was indeed impressive. He thought about what Professor Oak had told him. There would be one woman who would surprise him. And Marie was certainly beginning to fit the bill.

* * *

**A/N: OMG. Red is showing interest in Marieeee! Hehe 3 Going to be bringing in Steven some time soon. Maybe a little bit of Ash and Trip's battle? I need your help deciding what else I should put in here. Please leave your suggestions in the Review. I will read all of it and TRY to reply :) Ermm... they way I've set this up, Champions will be put into the tourney soon so they can't face them yet. Maybe another battle? Who should Red face and who should Marie face? What about Ash and Trip? Should they continue? Tell me tell me tell me please! I'm getting a little desperate for ideas. I'm running out. **


	8. Reunion

Chappie Eight: Return to the World

**A/N: Hey again guys, I'm trying to update more frequently so get ready for shorter chapters and more plot. I'm trying to speed things up but I don't want to lower the quality of my writing. Hmm… please read and review and leave ideas for what you want to see. I've got a basic plot down but I'm not sure about anything at this point.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pok**é**mon or any aspect of it.**

* * *

Cynthia was sitting next to Lance when suddenly the Johto Champion got up. He didn't say anything to her but just stood up and left. Cynthia stared after him in surprise but made no move to follow him or seek an explanation. She turned her attention back to the battlefield where Ash and Lt. Surge were battling.

Both were down to their last Pokémon, Ash's Pikachu against Lt. Surge's Raichu.

Pikachu unleashed a Quick Attack against its opponent and scored a hit but was countered quickly by a Shock Wave which left it paralyzed. Two thunderbolts collided and both Pokémon took damage. It was neck and neck now. Both Pikachu and Raichu had taken a lot of damage and were on their last legs. Ash told Pikachu to use Volt Tackle and Lt. Surge called for the same attack. When the dust cleared from the impact it showed Raichu unable to battle and Pikachu breathing hard.

The Sinnoh Champion let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Ash had won. She would openly admit to rooting for anyone besides herself in the competition but secretly she wished Ash would win even though she knew it probably wouldn't be possible. _Who knows, maybe he could surprise us all._

"May I sit?"

A familiar voice asked her. Cynthia turned around, shocked. It couldn't be. Not here.

"Cynthia?" Steven watched her cautiously. The blonde was staring at him strangely with a weird look on her face.

"Steven." She was astonished. Steven Stone, the champion of Hoenn, was standing behind her. _Voluntarily._

He smiled, "Surprised?"

"Pleasantly so," she answered back with a coy smile.

His lips turned upwards in a smile as he sat down in Lance's unoccupied seat. "I don't think he'll mind," he said as he turned towards where Lance was sitting now with Marie.

Cynthia inwardly groaned, Lance had planned this all along. "Were you sitting with Marie earlier?"

"Yup, that's how I convinced Lance to relinquish his seat next to you." Steven winked at her playfully.

This encounter was getting stranger and stranger. What had happened to the uptight Steven that she had known before? He was obviously beginning to tease her now. "It's been awhile Steven, how have you been?"

"I must admit, it's nice not being constantly pestered by requests for ice cream." His pale turquoise eyes gleamed with quiet humor.

This elicited a smile from Cynthia. "That was only once and you know I didn't bring my money that day," she protested gently.

"Yes, well that's always the excuse."

She crossed her arms and huffed, "Well, if you didn't want to pay for it, you could've just said so."

He laughed and so did she.

"Did you ever find that fire stone?"

"Of course, rare stones can't stay hidden from me for long!" He proclaimed proudly as he withdrew a stone with a flame frozen inside and showed her.

Cynthia admired it for a second before asking, "Why are you talking to me now, after so long? It's not like our last meeting was a friendly one." She was testing the waters.

He sighed, his jovial manner seemed to disappear, "I…" he paused, "…wanted to apologize for that. It wasn't right of me to say those things to you. I was just upset and confused."

"Apology accepted," smiling tenderly towards him, Cynthia took hold of his arm and snuggled up to him.

Steven smiled back and relaxed.

* * *

**A/N: A pretty short chapter. Introducing some Steven and Cynthia. Going to keep developing their relationship. I just want to say now that this is not going to be a short story. I'm hoping it'll hit novel status. More updates coming soon over this long weekend. Totally neglecting my school projects and need for sleep.**


	9. The Real Deal

**A/N: Anddd I'm totally neglecting my English project that's due tomorrow in order to write this but guysss I love you all too much! Please read and review :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or a finished English project!**

* * *

_The Real Deal_

Freddy the Scoop was announcing the results of the day's battles.

"Alright, so the thirty five dedicated trainers that are moving on are:

From the gym leaders:

Roxanne from the Rustboro gym

Crasher Wake from Pastoria City gym

Wattson, Mauville City's gym leader

Morty from Ecruteak

Jasmine from Olivine

Misty of Cerulean City

Sabrina from Saffron

Clair of Blackthorn

Elesa of Nimbasa

Volkner of Sunyshore

Winona, Fortree city's gym leader

Flannery from Lavaridge

Candice from Snowpoint

Drayden of Opelucid

Roxie of Virbank city

Byron from Canalave

Pryce from Mahogany

and Skyla of the Mistralton gym.

Now, I also have the privilege to announce which members of the elite four are moving on as well.

Flint, Lucian, Aaron from Sinnoh are all moving forward, Bertha did not participate in the tournament.

From the Indigo Plateau we have Koga and Lorelei.

Caitlin, Marshal, Grimsley and Shauntal from the Unova elite four are moving on as well which means the entire Unova League is here.

We also have had a surprise entrant into the tournament from Frontier Brain Dome Ace Tucker!

This has been a huge tournament so far and we should give special mention to the trainers who have made it this far. These trainers have worked hard to get where they are now and face these powerful gym leaders and elite four members and win. The following trainers will also be moving on-

Red from Kanto

Marie of Sinnoh

Ash of Kanto

Trip from Unova

Paul of Sinnoh

May of Hoenn

and

Tobias of Sinnoh! Please give all of these thirty five trainers a round of applause!"

The crowd went wild. The thirty five trainers that stood in front of them were standing proudly. Everyone was glad they had made it thus far and were truly pleased with their performance. They knew the battles they would face now would be even tougher but every one of them was up for the challenge.

"I don't know whether I should cheer for Misty or May or Ash to win. It's just such a hard decision!" Brock wasn't sure which side to pick.

Iris and Cilan smiled, "Well, I'm just hoping they all can win in the end!"

Max sweat dropped, "They can't _all_ win in the end you know."

"Of course I know that, what a little kid," Iris smirked.

The applause from the crowd had died down and Freddy resumed talking.

"So now that we have our thirty five, we need five more trainers to make the next round possible. Can I get any volunteers? Anybody?" He smiled slyly. The audience looked around, confused.

From the audience, Cynthia, Alder, Lance, Steven, and Wallace got up out of their seats. Their appearances were met with cheers and fangirling.

"Wonderful!" Freddy resumed, "Will you look at that? Five volunteers! And these volunteers are special, they're the Champions of their regions. I doubt introductions are needed but I'll make them anyway. On the far left we have a beautiful woman, a trainer of finesse, grace, and elegance. She has an incredible battling style as well as a fabulous sense of style... Sinnoh Champion Cynthia! Next to her is the Champion of the Hoenn League, Steven Stone. He's got a passion for rare stones and has rare and powerful Pokémon to match! And you always know where he is because of his signature hair!"

Cynthia nudged Steven playfully at the last remark. He grimaced.

"Continuing on, Lance is seated with trainer Marie and he is the Champion of Johto as well as a member of the Kanto Elite four. He is a master specialist of dragon-type Pokémon as well as the ladies."

Lance winked at Marie who only rolled her eyes.

Freddy was becoming less and less serious as the introductions continued.

"Over there is Alder who is known for his astounding power and eccentric personality. He wears his Pokémon around his neck and spends hours training every day. The result is an amazing trainer who is the Champion of the Unova region. Many have tried to defeat him but challengers only end up losing. Maybe that will change today? And last but not least we have Wallace who is a joint champion of the Hoenn league with Steven as well as Concert Master. Every year he holds a Wallace Cup for coordinators who demonstrate their Pokémon's grace and beauty. His battling style is very much influenced by his contest experiences which makes him one tough trainer to beat."

Freddy began to speak more quickly and with more fervor, "Now with those introductions done, we're going to break and then resume tomorrow for the preliminary rounds. The first match up of the day will be Trip of Unova against the gym leader of Virbank City, Roxie!"

* * *

**A/N: can you count and make sure there's 35 trainers and my math skills aren't a lie? I'm open to suggestions about battles. Unless something won't work with the plot (yes, there'll be a plot) I will try to input your suggestions. Please review. I love reading your reviews, it makes me feel like my time was well spent. Sorry also for maybe crappy quality, I wanted to upload the chapter before I went to sleep today. I'll be changing around the names of the chapters as the story updates and I decide what I want them to permanently be called. Again please review and leave suggestions!**

**Update: I think there's 35 now. Grimsley was added :)**


	10. Route 224

**A/N: Well hello there everyone. Don't get used to this many updates. Like seriously. The only reason why I'm this is being written is because I don't have school! Hehehe we're gonna kick this thing up a notch. With what you may ask? ... The answer will soon be revealed.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon**

* * *

_Route 224_

_"It shouldn't have come to this, I was cooperating with you. You didn't have to drag her into it!" She protested hotly._

_The man sitting in front of her smirked, "That tone of voice tells me that I did need to." He was dressed in a deep blue pin-stripe suit. His business like attire contrasted greatly with his surroundings. Two men dressed in white with green hair were flanking him and a woman with purple hair stood to the side._

_"But you had to take Selena? Why…" the young woman standing before the man already knew the answers to her question._

_"In order to keep you in check, I had to bring someone else into it. You are important enough that I can't let you run willy-nilly without some kind of," he snuck a glance at the girl bound and restrained in the corner of the cave, "motivation to do your job."_

_She wanted to cry. Selena was in danger now and it was all her fault. But she couldn't cry. She would not show weakness. "If I give you my word that I will complete this job, will you let her go?"_

_"Well now, your word means nothing to me. When you complete this job, then I will let her go."_

_She clung onto the hope that the man was telling the truth. The voice in the back of her mind was saying that he wasn't. There wasn't anything she could do at the moment besides agree to his demands. She didn't want Selena to get hurt. The young girl was like a sister to her. She wrapped her brown hair around her finger and replied with fake enthusiasm, "Of course Master Cyrus. Where do I begin?"_

* * *

**(Skip)**

Cynthia leaned back against her chair, watching the battle with keen eyes. Now that there were only forty trainers, herself included, she knew she would have to study their battle strategies. At this point, anyone could move on. Steven was seated next to her with an expression of deep concentration on his face. Trip and Roxie had battled with Roxie's Garbodor fainting seconds before Trip's Serperior was overcome by the effects of poison. Cynthia had seen Roxie's disappointed expression when she had lost. Trip however was not satisfied with his win. The Pokémon World Tournament was turning out to be an even bigger challenge than the Junior Cup. His goal was to face Alder again and he would try his best to win.

Steven heard Cynthia sigh and turned his head to face the blonde. "You okay?" He asked, a little worried.

"I'm fine, I'm just trying to figure out strategies for whoever I battle."

He kissed her gently on the top of her head and she smiled up at him, leaning into his body. He wrapped his arms around her saying, "You'll be fine Cynthia."

She blushed, Steven was a lot more open than he had been before. She wondered what changed. Although, she certainly wasn't complaining.

* * *

**(Skip)**

The next few battles came and went. Morty won against Roxanne, Clair beat Winona, Flannery's fire attacks came out on top against Candice's ice types, Paul scored a victory over Crasher Wake, and Volkner had bested Pryce. The next battle was Red against Flint.

Red smiled, he was up against an elite four member. The real competition was just starting. The excitement he felt was today was higher than ever and he was eager to get the battle started.

Flint seemed to read his mind, "So Red, I'm looking forward to a great battle between us!"

The other man smiled but didn't reply.

Flint took that as a yes.

"This will be a three on three battle on the ice field where a trainer wins when all three Pokémon of the opposing side are unable to battle! Are both trainers ready?"

The excitement of the crowd was palpable when both trainers nodded in affirmative.

Marie sighed. She should probably root for Flint because he was from her home region but Red was her roommate. She figured it wouldn't matter in the end and resigned herself to watching the battle. There were other things on her mind.

He had heard her sighing. At that moment she had sounded so lonely and he wanted to hold her. Marie would never have let him though. She wanted to be his friend, nothing else. He was fine with that in the end. Someone else wou-

"Yellow." Marie stated, glancing in his direction.

Lance started, "What?"

"Don't even deny it. I don't understand why you pretend to hit on me all the time when you have Yellow."

_Have Yellow? _"Really?" He felt stupid asking.

She smiled gently, "You should really look around more," and got out of her seat.

* * *

(Wop just a line here to separate things) Oh and quick Author's Note: During battles I follow the four moves rule - just to make things a little more creative BUT during the next battle the move sets may change. I'll only be using the moves they can possibly learn but just know that. Thankies guys, continue the story!

* * *

Flint was excited as well. The name Red had been well-known when he was a child. His mother who was from Kanto talked about the young boy who had become the Champion of the Indigo Plateau at eleven.

Like usual, Red released his first Pokémon without a word. Pikachu.

"Alright then, Flareon, you're up!"

Red made some small hand signals and Pikachu launched into a Quick Attack.

Flint did a double-take. Did Red just give a nonverbal command? Without his opponent talking, Flint couldn't plan what moves he would use to counter. He did recognize a quick attack when he saw one, "You use Quick Attack too Flareon!"

Both Pokémon ran towards the other at amazingly fast speeds. At the last minute, Pikachu swerved out. "Iron Tail!" Red called out so Pikachu didn't have to look back.

Flareon skidded to a stop and whirled around to find Pikachu slamming its tail down on the ice. The Flame Pokémon received a helping of ice chunks to the face. It cried out in pain.

"Will-o-Wisp to melt that ice!" Flint commanded urgently. Purple flames were produced from Flareon's body and encircled it. The flames prevented the ice from doing damage.

It was a good move, a creative use of a Will-o-Wisp, Red had to admit. But, it was just what he wanted. "Thunderbolt."

Pikachu was in the air and shot Thunderbolt at a puddle made by the flames. The Thunderbolt shocked more ice into the air which melted from the frightening heat. Pikachu continued its devastating electric attack as Flareon was splattered with water. The lightning was conducted through the water and hit Flareon. Flint's Flareon took the damage head-on.

"Flareon is unable to battle which means Pikachu is the winner!" the referee shouted the results.

Flint shook his head, amazed. Red was good. He hadn't even been able to launch an attack; Red's battling style seemed to dominate the field. He produced his next Pokémon, "Rapidash!"

Red recalled Pikachu, sending out Charizard.

"So it's a fire on fire battle," smirked Flint, "Let's see who wins."

Shaking his head, Red allowed himself a smile as he signed his first attack. _Wait._

Noticing the hand gestures, Flint knew Red was communicating with his Charizard. "Be alert Rapidash!" He cautioned his Pokémon.

Charizard didn't move a muscle.

He waited for the attack he was sure was coming. When it never did, Flint grew impatient. "Fine, if you're not going to make the first move, I will! Rapidash, Bounce and then Sunny Day!"

Red raised an eyebrow and so did the crowd.

"Sunny day," Freddy was informing the crowd, "Is a move that strengthens the sun which in effect boosts the power of fire type attacks." He paused. The audience waited for the obvious question, "But why is Flint using it? Charizard is a fire type also."

The sun shone noticeably brighter as Rapidash descended quickly from the sky, it's front legs stretched out to preparation for the attack.

"Air Slash." Red wasn't even fazed. Charizard wasn't either. Using its powerful wings it slashed through the air and the aftershocks hit Rapidash causing it to flinch and stop the attack.

Flint growled, getting upset. "Rapidash return." The Fire Horse Pokémon returned to its Pokéball. "Infernape! It's your turn." A monkey like Pokémon burst out from the thrown Pokéball. It screeched loudly, sensing its master's growing frustration.

_Doesn't matter to me, _Red thought. Charizard was up for it. There was a large patch of earth from where Pikachu's Iron Tail, Thunderbolt and Flareon's Will-o-Wisp hit. The ice was rapidly melting from the Sunny Day as well.

"Earthquake." The ground began to shake as Infernape stomped angrily on the ground. The remainder of the ice was separated from the ground and flew towards Charizard.

"Dragon pulse outwards," signed Red. Charizard began to spin in circles while opening it's mouth to release the Dragon Pulse. It picked up speed and a whitish light was emanating from its body. The Pokémon was spinning rapidly and had become a ball of Dragon Pulse power. With nowhere to dodge, Infernape couldn't avoid the attack and was enveloped in it. When the dust cleared, Infernape was unable to battle.

Flint was impressed. He was truly truly impressed. Never before had he lost a battle that badly, even his battle with Cynthia hadn't gone so badly. He hadn't been able to land an attack let alone cause damage to any of Red's Pokémon. He gave up trying to win and settled for just learning from a Master. He sent Rapidash out again.

"Charizard, return." Red withdrew his Pokémon from the field, much to the surprise of everyone. He spoke to Flint for the first time, "I don't know how you knew that Charizard's Hidden Ability was Solar Power but using Sunny Day was a risk even though it was a good move." He smiled. This tournament was pretty fun.

"I've met enough Charizards to figure it out. I am the fire-type Specialist for the Sinnoh Elite Four you know," Flint replied with reverence. Getting a compliment from Red, he figured, didn't happen very often. "Thank you."

Red didn't answer back. Instead, he sent Pikachu back out again.

Rapidash and Pikachu began a stare down. The Mouse Pokémon was producing sparks from its cheeks in excitement and the Fire Horse Pokémon snorted flames as it pawed the ground.

"Bounce and then Sunny Day again!"

"Quick Attack," Red signed.

The sun shone with more brilliance than before. Bounce and Quick Attack collided and Rapidash was sent flying back into the air while Pikachu down onto the ground.

"Straighten and then Iron Tail!" Pikachu's Iron Tail hit the ground and this time, chunks of earth were displaced. The ice had already melted from the previous battle's Sunny Day and the two Pokémon were now fighting on a normal battlefield. Mr. Goodshow was a bit displeased by that. It might take awhile before the field could be completely frozen again. Leave it to Flint and Red to melt an entire battlefield of ice.

"Get ready Rapidash!" Flint yelled out. Rapidash nodded, knowing what Flint was planning.

"Volt Tackle." Red was as calm as ever.

Pikachu shot up from the ground in a tremendous display of speed and finesse. Flint's eyes widened at Pikachu's amazing agility. He had never seen anything like it. Red's Pikachu's was almost as fast as Rapidash at its maximum. Almost. "Rapidash do it!" From the air, Rapidash quickly charged a Solar Beam. The attack was boosted by the double Sunny Day and the beam of concentrated sunlight was fired at the rapidly approaching Pikachu.

"Spin!" Red commanded urgently. If it had been anyone else's Pikachu the Solar Beam would've been enough to finish it. But, this was Red's Pikachu who had helped him beat Team Rocket as well as Lance's Salamence and Gyrados. Pikachu launched its spinning Volt Tackle and grazed the Solar Beam. The momentum from the spin absorbed some of Solar Beam's energy. Pikachu re-calibrated and aimed again at Rapidash. Solar Beam and Volt Tackle combined instantly knocked Rapidash from the sky. The Fire Horse Pokémon plummeted and fell to the ground. "Hurry Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

Flint gaped as his Rapidash began to drop. A fall from such a height could leave permanent damage and Rapidash could be very badly injured. On top of that, Pikachu was starting a Quick Attack. "Rapidash!" Flint was filled with dread.

But it wasn't what Flint thought. Pikachu dived down after Rapidash and landed on the ground moments before Rapidash was about to make impact.

The crowd was silent.

"I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND FOLKS, DID PIKACHU JUST _CATCH_ RAPIDASH? WHAT IN THE WORLD?" Freddy was going crazy.

Flint breathed a sigh of relief as Pikachu collapsed from Rapidash's weight. Both trainers rushed onto the field towards their Pokémon.

"Rapidash!" It was amazing that Rapidash was able to stand and get off of Pikachu. As soon as the little mouse was free from the larger Pokémon's weight, Rapidash collapsed again. Flint stroke its head tenderly, glad it had survived the fall.

Red stuck his hand out, "That was a pretty good battle."

Flint shook Red's hand gratefully, "Thanks for that catch. You and your Pikachu, not to mention your Charizard, are amazing. I'm glad I had the honor and privilege to battle you."

"Rapidash was unable to battle which means Flint has no remaining Pokémon. Therefore, Red is the winner!"

* * *

"That was highly unorthodox. Saving an opponent's Pokémon," Marie muttered under her breath. She had watched the entire battle from the shadows.

Meanwhile, the seat Marie had left unoccupied was soon occupied by a sweet looking blonde girl with a red sundress. Her brown eyes were kind as she sat down next to Lance.

His eyes widened in surprise. There was Yellow. She was as beautiful as ever with her hair tied back in a loose ponytail and without the hat covering her gorgeous features. The sundress hugged her body in all the right places and Lance's breath was taken away.

"Do you like it?" she asked in a soft voice.

He could barely stammer out, "You're beautiful." Lance blushed profusely as Yellow giggled.

"Marie thought you'd like it."

Lance smiled, Marie certainly hadn't gotten that wrong. "It's good to see you again Yellow. I've missed you so much."

It was Yellow's turn to blush. "Really?" she whispered, hardly believing it.

"Definitely."

* * *

**A/N: Hehe did you see anything new? Did you see a rare and exotic creature never before experienced in this story? Did you see... the PLOT?! Ermagersh. So please review. I'll reveal who Selena is later. Any speculations? I've got some free time this weekend and hope to upload at least another chapter although I honestly don't see that happening any time soon. Alright thanks guys, you're the best. Oh and some GrantedShipping**


	11. Processing New Information

**A/N: Guys, I wanted this to be a bonus chapter but it ended up turning into something more. The contest might take awhile for me to finish or I might just continue the contest (when I get tired of it) as a separate story so I don't up the word count. After a certain time I don't expect it to have any effect on the plot. I also just wanted to write a contest battle and appeals round. Try to make it to the end. Sorry for no actual update...**

* * *

_Processing New Information_

Coordinators from all around had been drawn to Driftveil by the presence of not only the Pokémon World Tournament but also the presence of Wallace. Marie inwardly groaned as she saw Coordinators she knew would end up recognizing her.

Wallace had had the bright idea to hold a Pokémon Contest during the Pokémon World Tournament in "order to increase tourism." Clay had readily agreed, anything to make his town more popular in the years to come.

By now, there were only 20 trainers left, herself included. The other nineteen were Sabrina, May, Ash, Koga, Tobias, Elesa, Cynthia, Misty, Lance, Steven, Alder, Wallace, Red, Morty, Paul, Clair, Flannery, Trip, and Volkner.

The next battles had already been announced and the trainers were given three days off to prepare. During those three days, Wallace's Pokémon Contest would be held.

* * *

**(Skip)**

Dawn was excited. She had come to Driftveil to support Ash but when she had heard there would be a huge Pokémon Contest she was glad she had came. Zoey and Dawn sat down after they registered. They had seen familiar faces in the crowd like May, Drew, Kenny, Nando, and even Ursula. Everyone participating would be great Coordinators and this contest would probably be even better than the Grand Festival. Like the Pokémon World Tournament, they were competing for the unofficial title of "Best Coordinator." The Pokémon here were not only beautiful but strong as well.

"You know Dawn, this is going to be a Double Performance Contest," Zoey was telling her.

Dawn smiled, "No need to worry, Brock told me that earlier! I've got my Pokémon pairs all lined up."

"That's good DeeDee," Kenny's voice came from behind her, "Because I plan to win this. After not getting past the Appeals round at the Grand Festival I'm even more determined to win this contest."

"Kenny!" Dawn exclaimed with delight before pouting, "What have I told you about calling me DeeDee? Stop it!"

"Geez DeeDee, didn't know you were that sensitive now."

"I'm not!" she protested, but she was still smiling.

"Hey Kenny, it's good seeing you again! Are you all registered?" Ash and Brock had joined the small group of Coordinators.

Kenny waved hello to the guys, "Yup, I'm all set for the contest. Say Ash... are you planning on participating?"

Ash sweat dropped, "Nope! You needed five ribbons for this from any region... I only have one."

May took out a ribbon from her pocket, "Right, the Terracotta ribbon."

Ash removed the other half of it and showed Kenny, "May and I won this together back in Hoenn! I guess it doesn't really count."

Kenny turned to May, "Good job on making it to the top 20 in the Pokémon World Tournament, you're doing really good!"

May blushed, "It's only because of my Pokémon. I'm hardly doing anything."

Drew snuck up behind May and wrapped an arm around her waist, "Why so humble my Princess of Hoenn?"

"Drew!" May squealed before turning around and hugging the green haired boy before he offered her a rose. She blushed and Drew kissed her cheek causing her to redden even more.

"Is everyone all registered?" A soft and melodic voice chimed in behind them. The group turned around to see none other than Wallace. "It would be a shame if a Top Coordinator and a winner of my Wallace cup didn't participate in the Pokémon World Contest." Wallace complimented the two Sinnoh girls causing them to blush.

"Yes Dawn, it certainly would be a shame if you didn't register in time. There's only about thirty spots left before the 108 limit is reached," said Johanna.

"Mom!" Dawn was surprised to see her mother. "What are you doing here? You said you weren't coming to Driftveil when I asked you."

"Wallace called me up and said it would be an honor if I would watch and help with his new idea," Johanna explained, "How could I refuse that?"

Wallace smiled slyly.

"A new idea?" Zoey questioned, "What do you mean? I thought these were just double performances? There's nothing new about that."

"It is a double performance," answered Wallace, "But something's going to be different. I can't tell you what it is yet because then you'd have an unfair advantage. Just know that Johanna will be here to help." He winked again and left with a flash of his cape.

Johanna hugged her daughter, "I have to go help set up but we will definitely talk later. I'm so proud of you." She waved good bye to the group. "Hurry up and register if you haven't ready, you don't want to be the 109th person."

* * *

Wallace laughed inside, what a great contest this would be. Top Coordinators from all over were entering, Fantina was here, as well as Robert from Hoenn, Zoey was here as well. Now all he had to do was convince Marie to participate.

But she remained adamantly against the very idea. "Wallace, how many times do I have to tell you no for you to go away!"

"An infinite amount of times because I'm not taking no for an answer!" he exclaimed, "You're such a talented Coordinator, don't even tell me Dragonair or Lopunny have been missing the contest scene."

She sighed, "It doesn't matter. We're not participating in the contest. They'll understand in the end."

"Really? The Marie I know would do anything for her Pokémon."

"Well that Marie isn't here right now," she practically snarled back.

He held up his hands in resignation. "I didn't want to play this card but I see that I have no choice."

Marie eyed the contest master warily. _What could he possibly have on her?_

"You remember that Quick Claw you've been searching for all this time?"

"Yes...?"

Wallace smiled as he held up a hollow talon shaped piece of bone, "If you get past Round 2 I'll give this to you."

She hesitated. Marie wanted that Quick Claw, it would give whichever Pokémon that held it an immense speed boost. How Wallace had gotten such a rare item was beyond her. However, that wouldn't be enough, "Nope sorry. I'm not entering. By now probably all 108 spots are gone."

He smirked, "I preregistered you."

"How... could you do such a thing?" she gaped at him, "Don't they need proof of my five ribbons?"

The Champion of Hoenn held up a case and handed it back to her. He shrugged nonchalantly, "You might want this back."

Her eyes widened. She had given her ribbon case to _Cynthia_ to keep. How in the world did Wallace get it? Marie knew she had some investigating to do. Taking back the case she frowned, "No. Even if you did preregister me it doesn't mean I have to participate. You can't force me." Scowling, she turned to leave.

"Fine fine... you're right, I can't force you, but you also can't force me to give you the information I know about the azure flute."

The blood in her body seemed to stop flowing. For a second, she couldn't breathe. Time seemed to stop and she froze. Whirling around angrily, her hands in her pockets she spoke through gritted teeth, "Where. Did. You. Hear. About. That."

* * *

**A/N: ****End of chapter, expect an update with more stuff about this soon. Guys, I wanted to apologize for making Marie like a Mary Sue. It's my first fanfic I guess I got a little carried away. I'm going to try my best to make her relate-able from now on. I don't expect it to be that hard. Also lightening up on RedxOC shipping. Just a warning, there will be some minor shipping themes although nothing that will be detailed upon as Lolishota. By the way, if you haven't figured it out, Marie is an OC.**


	12. The Problem with Favors

**A/N: Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of the update. Hope you're enjoying the story so far still. I really appreciate all of your reviews. It honestly makes my day to know that people were reading my story and enjoying it (or even hating it). Reading PMs during class is also the best. I actually feel loved. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or any aspect of it.**

* * *

The Problem With Favors

He wasn't sure why she was so upset. Marie's eyes were shocked and her body language showed that she was on edge and tense. Wallace frowned unconsciously. Steven had mentioned that if he wanted Marie to participate those were the magical words he had to say. There was certainly a reaction from her, but he decided it wasn't a good one.

Marie felt dizzy. How did Wallace know about such a thing? Was he looking for it to? Noticing how stiff she was, she forced herself to soften and relax, "Wallace, where did you hear that?"

"An old man off of Hoenn was speaking to me in a Pokémart and mentioned the flute." Wallace decided that he wouldn't give Steven away.

She contemplated. Being in the contest might mean blowing her cover but the Boss did say any means necessary. Time was being wasted every moment she remained ignorant. "Fine. If I get to the second round you promise you'll tell me every single detail you know about the flute?"

Wallace beamed at her, "Of course." He smiled triumphantly.

Sighing, she snatched the Quick Claw out of his hand and stalked away. Her head was buzzing. Wallace knew about the Azure Flute. Some man in a Pokémart knew about it as well. She wondered how much Cyrus knew already. Now she had to get ready for a Pokémon contest. She had competed in Hoenn, Kanto, and even Sinnoh, winning three ribbons in each region before disappearing from the contest scene. Over the last four years she had accumulated enough experience to rival even a top coordinator. Not to mention her Pokémon had gained crucial knowledge on contests and contest battles. Cyrus had been pleased. She rubbed her temples. He had even promoted her against her will. Now it was her fault Selena was in danger.

As she began heading back to her shared room with Red she spotted a purple haired girl standing in the crowd. A flicker of recognition passed through her brain. The purple haired girl began walking towards her. Inwardly, she groaned. Outwardly, she smiled at the newcomer and hugged her warmly.

"Boss wants to see you again," the other girl whispered.

"Now?" Marie whispered back, releasing her from the embrace.

"The weather's really nice for the Pokémon World Tournament isn't it?"

Marie looked through the window, "Most definitely, we haven't had any rain besides the freak storm on the last registration day." She saw a suspicious looking news van parked right outside with tinted windows.

"I'm glad of that, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get here in three hours!" the purple haired girl followed Marie's gaze.

"Is that it?" Marie asked inconspicuously, "Did it really only take three hours? Where were you coming from? It took me around five."

"Yup, that's it."

Marie thought she saw the other girl wink.

"I was coming from the Mountain." Extra emphasis was put on Mountain. "I've got to go now, I wanted to see who was participating for the Pokémon Contest too!" Her voice was steeped in what Marie believed to be false enthusiasm.

Two people got out of the news van and began an interview with each other. _That's my cue, _thought Marie. "I'll see you later Janie."

Both girls smiled at each other again and the purple haired one bounced away towards Nurse Joy.

She ran a hand through her brown hair. It was time to be obsequious. As she headed outside, she made sure to look at her feet so no one could see her face. The two news reporters sidled up to her.

"How does it make you feel getting this far in the Pokémon World Tournament? You've done super well this far!"

Marie flashed a grin, "It feels great! I honestly had no idea I would ever get to the top 20, this has been a dream come true for me but I know my Pokémon worked hard as well."

To the onlooker, it was just Marie talking with mediocre reporters that worked for a channel nobody watched.

"Whoops, we're running out of film. Would you be willing to come with us while we get more film? We don't want to miss such an amazing chance to get an interview with such a great trainer!"

The group of three headed towards the suspicious looking van. All three got in. The door closed and they were enveloped in darkness. Marie hugged her knees to her chest, hoping to get some comfort from the situation. She felt so helpless. A light turned on and in a flurry of motion she was sitting up, straight and confident.

"Janie? Seriously Marie, you couldn't think of anything else?" A voice came from her left side. She turned and saw the purple haired girl.

"Jupiter seriously, what was I supposed to come up with? Ariana? Leila? Mira? Would you have preferred any of those names?"

Purple haired Jupiter grimaced, "Never mind, Janie was fine."

The two news reporters grinned at the interaction. Marie may not be trustworthy but at least she wasn't insufferable. Changing from their disguises, the news reporters could be identified as Sam and Marshall. They had black and white outfits on as well as mint green colored hair.

"So Marshall, status update?" Marie asked the green haired boy on her left.

Marshall glanced at Jupiter who crossed her arms and nodded confirmation. "Well, we've found the Spear Pillar in Sinnoh as well as a map leading to where the Azure Flute was supposed to be. We crossed checked it with our other information and it seemed trustworthy."

"Lemme guess, you didn't find it."

He shook his head.

"It's not going to ever be that easy. What did the map say?"

Jupiter interrupted before Marshall could reply, "We're there."

The van stopped and Marie wondered who was driving. The door opened and a girl with the same general outfit as Sam and Marshall appeared, her hair was cut short and dyed green. Marie didn't recognize her. She was handed a blindfold by the girl and she sighed. "Really Jupiter, I still have to wear these?"

Jupiter shot her an annoyed look. "We have this conversation every time. Get over it and put the blindfold on."

Marie smiled slightly. She was glad for Jupiter's no nonsense attitude; kindness would only break her in the end. Obediently, she put the blindfold on. She felt someone's hand tighten it around her head even more and she frowned as it pressed against her skull. "Sorry about that." She recognized Jupiter's apologetic voice.

Leading Marie down a complicated set of turns, Jupiter counted tiles and steps as they headed deeper and deeper into the Unova region base of Team Galactic. Sam, Marshall and the mystery girl were walking behind them. At a nonverbal command of Jupiter's they reached for Marie's Pokéballs.

"No," she spoke suddenly, "I'll give you my word. I won't use them. Promise." If they took away her Pokéballs her courage might fail her.

Jupiter motioned that it was fine. She knew Marie could be trusted to keep her word at least.

* * *

Cyrus was watching the procession through the winding tunnels through his computer monitor. He smiled. Jupiter had already informed him that Marie had a chance to obtain new information about the flute they were seeking. It had been a wise move on his part to include her in the team. Perhaps it wasn't the safest move he could've made but her resources and friends greatly expedited his plan.

Two Galactic Grunts stood by his side. A blue haired man was standing directly behind him and was watching the screen carefully. "Saturn," he questioned, "What's on your mind?"

The blue haired man started; he hadn't realize he was being watched. "I'm just wondering if she can be trusted with our master plan."

"Of course not. Once we have the Azure Flute I plan to..." Cyrus trailed off but Saturn had gotten the message.

A knock on the door was heard and the computer showed that the group had arrived. Cyrus pushed a button and the door opened.

"Welcome back Marie. It's so good to see you again, although I'm not sure you can say the same."

* * *

Marie was suddenly nauseous. What had she gotten herself into? She didn't have a plan, she didn't have her Pokémon, she didn't even have hope.

"I'm blindfolded Cyrus. I _can't_ see you. Not saying I'm not pleased to not see you." She adopted her usual tough facade.

Cyrus chuckled, the sound sent shivers down Marie's spine as he said, "Unfortunately your friend Selena hasn't had that luxury."

She heard someone plead for help. Marie knew the voice frighteningly well. "Selena," she whispered under her breath.

The blindfold was removed from her eyes and she had to blink a few times before she adjusted to the dim lights and could see.

"Marie!" She could hear a pained sound and she whirled around in the direction of the voice but she couldn't locate it.

Jupiter and Saturn exchanged looks. They weren't used to seeing Marie so worked up. Cyrus had been right, Selena would guarantee Marie's loyalty.

"Would you like to see her?" Cyrus asked her gently.

Marie took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "Where is she?"

"Somewhere in this mountain," Saturn answered.

Jupiter chimed in, "Somewhere you'll never find her by yourself."

The two smiled sinisterly.

"Let me see her," Marie demanded, her voice was starting to waver. She hated herself for showing weakness.

Cyrus joined in on the sinister smiling. "What do you have to trade."

"Information on the flute," she replied quietly. She was well aware he already knew that. Jupiter must have been watching her entire conversation with Wallace as well as been briefing Cyrus immediately afterwards.

"I appreciate your honestly. Now that comes to the question of the contest."

She smirked, "And that's going to be your decision in the end."

He sighed. To Marie he suddenly looked tired. "Yes, in the end it usually is my decision. Fine. You are released from your previous obligation to me and can participate."

Feeling like she scored a win bolstered her confidence. The favor she had had to grant Cyrus so long ago was finally fulfilled. Meanwhile, he owed her a favor now. She would have to call it one day. At the right moment. "Now that we have that settled, can I see Selena now?"

He nodded at Jupiter who peeled herself off the wall and took Marie by the arm not at all gently. "We'll continue this after you've seen her."

Jupiter muttered, "He's just letting you see her so you know she's safe. For now."

"I know that," Marie snapped back before she could stop.

Eyebrows shot up around the room as the women exited.

* * *

**At the Champion's Hotel**

"So, are you excited for the contest?" Steven asked the woman sitting across from him.

Cynthia giggled, "I heard Marie was going to be participating, so yes. I'm very excited."

"How in the world did Wallace convince her to enter and where in the world did she get five ribbons?"

"Mainly Kanto and some from Sinnoh. I think she's won one in Hoenn as well before she stopped competing." Cynthia frowned. It was her that gave Wallace Marie's ribbon case. She felt a little bad about it but Marie was always a good sport in the end. Her best friend had never explained why she had given up contests before turning to battling. Marie had also never explained why she had given up battling afterwards either. Lance had told her stories about Marie in the Indigo Plateau, how she had withdrawn from the tournament after getting to the top 20.

Steven wasn't surprised. Marie was certainly an interesting character, he had ascertained that, even though he hadn't known her as long as Cynthia had known her. He took another bite of his sandwich.

The two Champions were eating a late breakfast. Wallace had told them it would be starting at one thirty in the afternoon. It was just past eleven. The Champion's Hotel was nice because ordinary trainers couldn't come in without an invitation pass. The hotel was called the Champion's Hotel but was for Elite four members as well. Because there was a limited number of Elite Four members and Champions in the world, the hotel was also a training center for Pokémon when it wasn't being used as a hotel. Cynthia and Steven had been able to train in the mornings and afternoons when they weren't occupied.

"Wallace asked me to help judge the preliminary rounds and also possibly the following rounds if I liked," Cynthia spoke first, breaking their comfortable silence.

"But then I won't be able to sit with you!" Steven put an expression of extreme horror on his face making her smile at his reaction.

"You could always come down and judge as well. I'm sure Wallace would love to have you there."

He grimaced. The last contest he had gone to hadn't exactly been perfect.

She noticed his indecision and teased him, "Is the Champion of Hoenn afraid of contests?" She feigned surprise.

Steven had to admit, even when she was mocking him she was still adorable. "I hate to admit it, but you know what I'm not afraid of?"

Cynthia blushed as she noticed Steven's gaze travel down to her lips. She smiled ever so slightly and asked in a low voice, "What are you not afraid of Mr. Stone?"

Quick as a flash he was sitting next to her and cradling her in his arms.

She felt her blush deepen ever more and her heart begun to pound. She wound her fingers through his hair and looked into his pale turquoise eyes. Cynthia couldn't look away.

It had been awhile since they were that close. Despite his iron-tough self control, Steven could feel something stirring within him. He too felt his heart begin to quicken. Their eyes locked and he was captivated.

Cynthia bit her lip unconsciously.

That was all it took. He leaned his head down and kissed her on the mouth. Wrapping his fingers in her lush blonde hair, he deepened the kiss.

She returned all of his passion, forgetting that they were eating breakfast together in public and people might be watching. She didn't care. She knew that she loved him. She loved him so much.

The remnants of her ice cream still lingered and she tasted like strawberries and vanilla. The combination left him intoxicated. But he forced himself to stop. She looked at him with a questioning gaze.

He pulled her onto his lap. Cynthia turned her head to look at him as she absentmindedly brushed the hair from his face.

The touch sent shivers down Steven's spine. Her presence was simply heavenly. He would be happy staring at her forever. But instead, leaned in to kiss her tenderly.

Their lips met again and time seemed to stop. Cynthia felt herself melt in his arms and shape around his body as she continued the kiss. He pulled her even closer and her breath escaped as a moan. His lips were gently against hers and she knew she could always feel safe with him.

* * *

**A/N: Whoops I'm a loser. Hope you enjoyed the fluffiness. I tried to stop myself, I really did, I just couldn't help it. They're _so_ cute together! The chapter was pretty long, I hope it was okay. More is probably coming next Saturday? Please review, I'd really appreciate it (seems like I'm saying this every author's note haha).  
Now moving on, has anyone seen the new Korra episode? Is it any good?  
**


End file.
